International Center for Caucasus Tourism
Georgia ̶ Marvelous Land of Tourism
Researches and Reports
Tbilisi
2016
The Authors are Members of International
Center for Caucasus Tourism (ICCT)
Mzia Kokhia, Valentina Merabishvili and
Eka Kakhiani
Researches and reports were performed in
the frame of EU funded Project “Tourism
paths of the Black Sea Region”BSB-Tour”
(2014-2016)
ICCT
“Tourism Paths of the Black Sea Region” BSB-TOUR
2016
INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR CAUCASUS TOURISM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------www.icct.ge [email protected] +995 599502336 7, Murman Lebanidze str. 0119,Tbilisi, Georgia
EuropeAid ID : GE-2010-DQH-1301703061
Membership:
International Rural Tourism Association, the Netherlands
Global Environment Facilities. GEF-CSO
ICCT is a non-governmental, non-for-profit organization, was founded by the group of experts working
in the spheres as rural tourism, environmental protection, nature conservation, vocational and adults
education are. Comprehensive activities are devoted to study of sustainable tourism situation in Georgia
and Caucasus as well as related destinations researches, youth involvement in environment protection
campaigns, vocational and adults education directed to youth engagement, editing and publication of
manuals and catalogues, etc.
ICCT has 7 years of experience in promoting harmonic interact of biodiversity and sustainable
management of forests through implementing projects concerned with Sustainable Rural Tourism,
Environmental Protection and Educational Programs, thus promoting priority sectors of GEF.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/International-Center-for-Caucasus-Tourism/1414661915444917?ref=hl
From the very beginning, the priority of ICCT activities and researches has become poverty alleviation
through poor population involvement in Sustainable Rural Tourism (SRT).Experts of ICCT - the
members of Rural Tourism International Association (Amsterdam, the Netherlands) are conducting
training “International Standards of Hospitality in Rural Areas” in various regions of Georgia and
partners’ countries in the frame of the projects implemented.
ICCT is permanently providing selected by local municipalities in various regions of Georgia the
representatives of rural population with SRT and Train-in the trainers Courses. We are coaching future
trainers and entrepreneurs (the successful ones are awarded ICCT Certificates) and at the same time help
them to open Sustainable Rural Tourism Resource Center where they could be busied with the same
activities.
The same training were included into EU BSB CBC Project activities (7 countries, 9 organizations)
We are the single NGO in Georgia and maybe in Youth Caucasus focused upon SRT advocacy in rural
areas for to involve local stakeholders and future entrepreneurs in SME on the basis of capacity building
though ICCT training, seminars, workshops, best practices share, exhibitions, festivals, photo and art
competitions, etc.
ICCT is also the follower of UNWTO Program ST-EP (Sustainable Tourism Eliminating Poverty) on the
basis of it we have establish Youth Debate Club
https://www.facebook.com/groups/402281569919885/?fref=ts
ICCT follows UNESCO Forums with Slogan “Green Skills for work and Life after 2015”
In the partnership with 7 countries we’re implementing Projects in the frame of BSB CBS and EaPTC
supported by EU and GIZ
EU Project. Tourism paths in the Black Sea Region” BSB TOUR. (2014-2016)
ICCT actively participates in EaPTC programs:
From 25, September, 2015 we are in EaPTC two projects with Armenian colleagues:
“Addressing common challenges in youth employment through cross-border tourism development”
(2015-2016)
“Biking and rural combined cross-border tourism, as innovative approach for promoting cross-border
cooperation” (2015 – 2017)
Recently ICCT has applied for EaPTC Azerbaijan-Georgia Cross Border Corporation Program.
ICCT Welcomes Partners Worldwide! Thank you for cooperation in the future.
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Joint Operational Programme “Black Sea Basin 2007-2013”
Joint Managing Authority and Joint Technical Secretariat
The Black Sea Basin Programme is co-financed by the European Union through the European
Neighborhood and Partnership Instrument and the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance
This publication has been produced with the assistance of the European Union. The contents of
this publication are the sole responsibility of the Joint Managing Authority and the Joint
Technical Secretariat of the Joint Operational Programme “Black Sea Basin 2007-2013” and
can in no way reflect the views of the European Union.
Report edited by: International Center for Caucasus Tourism
Residential Address:
7, M. Lebanidze Str., 0119, Tbilisi, Georgia
[email protected]
www.icct.ge
Tel.: +995 599 502 336
Use of Material is Authorized and Provided Source is Acknowledged
ICBN 978-9941-0-8907-7
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“Tourism Paths of the Black Sea Region” BSB-TOUR
2016
CONTENT
Preface ………………………..…………………………………………….…7
Chapter 1. Current Situation in the Tourism Sector of Georgia...………..…10
Chapter 2. Georgian Tourism Industry Overview……………………….…..44
Chapter 3.Vocational Tourist Education for Youth Involvement in
Sustainable Rural Tourism to Reduce Poverty and Prevent
Emigration in the Black Sea Region………………………….….57
Chapter 4. The Black Sea Sustainable Rural Tourism Program………...…63
Chapter 5. Tourism as a Key Factor for Sustainable Development of the
Black Sea Region………..……..…….……………………….……68
Chapter 6. Sustainable Management of Tourism Business: Hotels,
Restaurants, Travel Agents and Cruise …………..…………..…74
Chapter 7. Traditional Georgian Products, Production, Promotion and
Tasting…….…………………………………………………...….…85
Chapter 8. The Main Trends of Tourism Sectors in Georgia..……………. 112
Chapter 9. Tourism - As the Principal Sphere for Economy Growth and
Intercultural Relations in Georgia ……………….……………..125
Chapter 10. Hospitality and Restaurants, Hospitality and Restaurant
Management – an International Prospect............................…...134
Chapter 11. New Technologies and Their Effect on the Modern Promotion
of the Rural and Cultural Tourism Opportunities in Georgia..151
Chapter 12. Sustainable Rural Tourism and Environment Preservation:
Negative and Positive Impacts…………………………………..167
Chapter 13. Education as a guarantee for tourism development……………186
Chapter 14.The World of Wine: How to Taste & Select a Quality
Bottle of Wine………….…………………………………………194
Chapter 15. Nine Reasons to Visit Georgia Now CNN………………………220
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Preface
Tourism has become a growing phenomenon with the increasing ease and decreasing expense
of traveling abroad. For both developed and less developed countries alike, tourism is fast
becoming a billion dollar business and one of the leading forms of foreign exchange earnings.
Tourism leads to improved infrastructure and services, as well as the creation of numerous
employment opportunities in the host countries.
There are, however, many drawbacks and negative side effects generated by the tourism
industry. This input provides a snap shoot of the development potential of the sector as well as
the development issues and constraints that impede its growth in most places in the region.
Tourism is a big industry based on many small businesses. If we want tourism to contribute to
biodiversity conservation and sustainable development, tourism must then be a profitable
enterprise, providing substantial economic benefits to the people involved in the different facets
of this complex activity. Even in the case of ecotourism or rural community tourism, the
process must be characterized by being a good business. While significant major players offer
large numbers of popular packages, even in mass destinations the small businesses are the
bedrock of visitors' experiences. The importance of small businesses to nature tourism in rural
areas of developing countries cannot be overstated.
There are, however, many drawbacks and negative side effects generated by the tourism
industry. This input provides a snap shoot of the development potential of the sector as well as
the development issues and constraints that impede its growth in most places in the region.
Tourism is a big industry based on many small businesses. If we want tourism to contribute to
biodiversity conservation and sustainable development, tourism must then be a profitable
enterprise, providing substantial economic benefits to the people involved in the different facets
of this complex activity. Even in the case of ecotourism or rural community tourism, the
process must be characterized by being a good business. While significant major players offer
large numbers of popular packages, even in mass destinations the small businesses are the
bedrock of visitors' experiences. The importance of small businesses to nature tourism in rural
areas of developing countries cannot be overstated.
There are, however, many drawbacks and negative side effects generated by the tourism
industry. This input provides a snap shoot of the development potential of the sector as well as
the development issues and constraints that impede its growth in most places in the region.
Tourism is a big industry based on many small businesses. If we want tourism to contribute to
biodiversity conservation and sustainable development, tourism must then be a profitable
enterprise, providing substantial economic benefits to the people involved in the different facets
of this complex activity. Even in the case of ecotourism or rural community tourism, the
process must be characterized by being a good business. While significant major players offer
large numbers of popular packages, even in mass destinations the small businesses are the
bedrock of visitors' experiences. The importance of small businesses to nature tourism in rural
areas of developing countries cannot be overstated. Agriculture and tourism are two areas
considered to have a scope for economic growth in the Black Sea and to benefit the region in
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general. Sustainable aquaculture is being stimulated through the conduct of
feasibility studies in parallel with the development of legislation enabling the regulation of
aquaculture. Such legislation should ensure that aquaculture itself does not present a threat to
the environment and should address issues, such as, the location and density of cages, releases
of commercial strains, imports and release of exotic species, quarantining and matters of
hygiene.
Eco-tourism is being stimulated in the region through the implementation of pilot projects in
Black Sea coastal states. In close cooperation with the tourist industry and the national tourism
authorities, environmental codes of conduct and training courses in sustainable tourism are
being developed. The tourism industry, both for the benefit of the industry and for the benefit of
the environment, needs to be more adequately planned with a view to incorporating concerns
such as those related to water supply, sewage treatment bathing water quality, the use of natural
resources and resort development into newly developed projects from the beginning. Moreover,
it shall be required that tourist development projects be subjected to EIAs (Strategic Action
Plan for the Rehabilitation and Protection of the Black Sea, 1996).
While tourism can be a powerful positive force for economic development, it can sometimes be
bringing several drawbacks. Nowadays, tourism encounters different types of problems. On the
one hand are those that derive from the international financial crisis and on the other hand are
those that generate from the intensive exploitation of tourism resources that have influenced the
living standards, environment and revenues of the locals. Therefore, the problem that the
project will address regards the accumulated problems tourism encounters for so many years in
combination with the effects of the international economic crisis on the entrepreneurship in
general and on the purchasing power of consumers. Some of these problems are: environmental
disturb, intensive building, seasonality of tourism, small flow of tourism, bad advertising,
cheapened ambience of locality by the influx of people and businesses, etc.
As mentioned above tourism is on the one hand a great strength to development However,
tourism also has a lot of negative aspects which have to be solved. The role of SMEs here is
vital as they participate into the tourism industry at a great percentage. The countries from
where participants come have developed a great touristic product based on the immense
existence of SMEs. Nevertheless, nowadays tourism has changed as an idea, with emerging
different/new types of tourism, with a differentiation at the needs of the tourists. Thus, SMEs
have to change their operational mode, their entrepreneurship practices and to adapt on the new
facts. In accordance with the need to recover also from the economic crisis, SMEs have to
follow the tourism market trends and develop a ne attitude towards tourism as an entity.
That are the reasons that the partners decide to cooperate and to create the project at the field of
tourism and traditions. The last year show that the tourism sector is one of the most powerful
and still developing one. Also it is important for people and countries to promote their cultural
heritage and tradition in order to remind alive in the memory and to help to people to live better
lives.
Relevance of the identified problem to the formed partnership is of high intensity. The
consortium of partners comes from Black Sea Basin region where tourism plays a vital role on
the economic development and consequently to the standards of living and its problems has
therefore held up the further development of these areas. All participants are organizations that
are involved in both direct and indirect way with tourism and culture promotion and can
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influence policy-making in tourism at a national level. Thus, they have as an
objective to overcome the problems mentioned through collaboration, building of strong
relationships and through the sharing of knowledge, good practices and experiences. The
tourism is a sector where the exchange, sharing and transfer of policy experience, knowledge
and good practices will contribute to the improvement of the effectiveness of regional
development policies.
Tourism sector in all participant countries includes small – medium sized businesses and
provides labor to many people. Entrepreneurship and tourism are two fiscal element highly
interconnected. Proper entrepreneurship can be the steering wheel to a sustainable tourism
development. On the one hand there is their ability to create new jobs at a time of downsizing,
to adapt to diversified and flexible structures, to stimulate competition and to introduce new
service products. They can also be part of the output experience for the tourist through their
ability to advising visitors about itineraries, providing narratives on local history, culture,
folklore and landscape, as well as playing an active role in the advancement of the community.
On the other hand there are a number of weaknesses that can constitute barriers to sustainable
tourism development, such as the family oriented businesses, the lack of entrepreneurial drive,
the limited business skills and the shortage of finance.
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Chapter 1. Current Situation in the Tourism Sector of Georgia
Introduction
Recently the Georgian government started promoting mountain and rural villages for tourism
development to improve local communities’ livelihoods through tourism. Despite ambitious
plans, tourism development seems rather chaotic in Georgia; lack of the strategic planning slows
down tourism development in country. Tourism development seems new not only to local
companies and local communities but to the governmental agencies as well and this may result
in the negative impacts on natural and social environment.
Nowadays, travel and tourism industry is one of the world’s largest industries with a global
economic contribution (direct, indirect and induced). The direct economic impact of the
industry, including accommodation, transportation, entertainment and attractions, was
approximately 2.2 trillion U.S. dollars per year. A number of countries, such as France and the
United States, are consistently popular tourism destinations, but other, less well-known countries
are quickly emerging in order to reap the economic benefits of the industry. Role of tourism in
the development of national economies, international trade, and the social and cultural life
makes necessary to give high importance to tourism. So, studies and investments in this area
were accelerated. Tourism has a significant role to play in the Georgia economy in terms of
production of goods and services. The sector plays a major role in the creation of employment
opportunities. Tourism expenditure is generated from travel spend, including international,
resident households, and business and government travelers.
According to the data of WTO every year the quantity of tourists and travelers is increasing and
1.6 billion international tourists are forecasted to exist by 2020.
Ecotourism, defined as “responsible travel to nature areas that conserves the environment and
sustains the well-being of local people” by the International Ecotourism Society
(www.ecotourism.org), is a small but growing segment of the overall tourism market. It is
distinguished from nature-based tourism, which merely exploits natural attractions, by its
intended sustainability and environmental friendliness. The growing importance of ecotourism
among the spectrum of tourism activities is based on the socio-economic developments and
changing perceptions in the industrialized nations of North America, Western Europe and East
Asia, from which most international tourists originate. Among them are the following:
 Rising educational levels and expectations: People have become better educated on the
global average, and therefore they have become more interested in authentic experiences,
meaningful leisure activities and original tourism products that involve learning and physical
activity rather than just relaxation.
 Increasing social and environmental concerns: The general increase of environmental
awareness and “green consumerism” influences the way in which people choose their
holidays, and leads to an increasing proportion of clients choosing environmentally attractive
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and sustainable tourism products. Some tourists even seek volunteering
opportunities to actively support environmental causes, such as nature conservation, during
their vacations.
 Proliferation of long-haul flying: The increase in affordable long-haul flying has lead to an
increase of international visitation of natural attractions, such as National Parks. It has
globalised the market for any given ecotourism site (e.g. National Park), but has also
globalised competition among sites.
 Improved information access through the internet: The internet makes it easier for
tourists to find tourism products that match their individual preferences, including special
interests. As a consequence, special interest tourism, including the more specialized kinds of
ecotourism, has become easier and more widespread. At the same time, the internet has
helped spread information about attractive ecotourism destinations, thereby increasing their
market share.
 Proliferation of special interests relevant to ecotourism: Increasing wealth and education
have popularized sophisticated nature-based hobbies. For instance, the number of scuba
divers certified by the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) has grown
almost 10-fold between 1980 and 2000, and now approaches a million worldwide. Similar
trends can be observed for other outdoor activities such as wildlife watching, kayaking, or
alpine ski touring. Many of these outdoor enthusiasts are also potential ecotourists.
Although some of the above developments are ecologically problematic (e.g. long-haul flying
with its high environmental cost), and others may slow down or become partly reversed in the
wake of the global economic crisis (e.g. popularity of outdoor sports which require expensive
equipment), all of them are projected to continue and to underpin continued growth of
ecotourism in the foreseeable future.
On a smaller scale, similar developments as those listed above for the international tourism
market are going on within each of the South Caucasus countries. This will lead to growing
domestic demand for nature based tourism, including ecotourism, in the future. An example of
this trend is the growing domestic visitor numbers to Georgia’s National Parks over the last few
years. Domestic visitors demand different tourism products than international ecotourists, but
they are an interesting target group from both the business and the conservation point of view.
Consequently, they should be considered in future ecotourism planning.
What consequences does the growing global and domestic demand for ecotourism have for
tourism businesses, state agencies and nature conservationists in the South Caucasus?
This question can be broken down to a series of more specific ones: What potential has the
region as an ecotourism destination? Where does its unique attractiveness lie? What can be done
to develop and utilize this potential? Which segment(s) of the ecotourism market should
developers aim for? What are the expectations of tourists belonging to these segments, and what
needs to be done to fulfill these expectations? What are the dangers and costs of developing
ecotourism, in economic, environmental and social terms? Where is it desirable at all to develop
ecotourism, and where not? These are some of the questions that this report aims to answer.
The South Caucasus boasts an immense diversity of landscapes, due to its altitude range and
climatic gradients (MAP 2). Mountainous and forest landscapes are particularly prominent.
These landscapes, in turn, provide habitats for a diverse flora and fauna. The location of the
Caucasus at a bio-geographic crossroads between the northern Eurasian, Anatolian and Middle
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Eastern regions, and its history as a glacial refuge further contribute to its status as
one of 34 global biodiversity hotspots, as defines by Conservation International.
While the flora of the Caucasus is relatively unique and boasts 1,200 endemic species, its fauna
is overall less exotic from a European point of view although some (about 50) endemics occur. In
global comparison, the attractiveness and accessibility of Caucasus fauna cannot compete with
that of destinations like, for example, Eastern Africa, Costa Rica or the Red Sea. However, it
comprises relatively large populations of highly attractive European bird and mammal species
that have become very rare in most of Europe. Examples of such species are the Wolf and Brown
Bear among the mammals, or the Lammergeyer and European Bee-eater among the birds.
Having been named a mountain of tongues by Arab travelers in the tenth century, the region also
offers a cultural diversity to match its biodiversity. It includes one of the oldest wine-making
cultures of the world and has been the origin of many domestic crops. The rich cultural heritage
of the region adds to its attractiveness, including to ecotourists.
While the particular highlights of the country are listed below, it is already obvious that the
South Caucasus as a whole has considerable potential for the development of ecotourism, based
on its landscapes (particularly its unique mountains and forests) with the associated opportunities
for exploration and outdoor activities, its flora and fauna, its unique agricultural products, and the
added benefit of its cultural attractions.
At the same time, the South Caucasus as a region is, and will remain in the foreseeable future,
not the most easily accessible destination for ecotourists. Although it is only four hours flying
time from Western Europe, there are few direct flights to the South Caucasus countries, and most
of them are at night. A language barrier continues to exist for most Europeans, the standards of
tourism services outside the capitals are mixed, and prices can be quite high. Although much has
been done to improve the interpretative facilities of many National Parks in the region, visitors
still cannot expect the perfectly staged nature and wildlife encounters that are offered in Central
American or Australian parks.
While it is certainly necessary to increase service quality and value, improve foreign language
skills in the tourism industry, ease access and extend interpretative facilities in ecotourism
destinations, there is a complementary way of addressing the infrastructural and service related
peculiarities of the region: By emphasizing the authenticity of the ecotourism experience in the
South Caucasus, the fact that it is relatively uncharted, unexplored territory in international
comparison, and the ample opportunities for outdoor activities, the tourism industries in the
Southern Caucasus could target the most active, explorative and independent segment of the
ecotourism market. This could include tourists that already have been to many of the more
accessible ecotourism destinations, and may actually be attracted by the unfiltered experience in
this region. This would of course require high quality activity-related tourism products.
However, there are other challenges that will deter even the most adventurous traveler. Events
like the Karabakh conflict or the 2008 August conflict between Georgia and Russia have
severely damaged the safety image of the region. While it is beyond the means of the tourism
industry to prevent conflicts like these, the safety situation should be communicated proactively
and in a differentiated way, to counter the often over-generalized safety perceptions of remote
observers. Equally importantly, the often highly visible poor environmental management in the
region – be it uncontrolled waste disposal, obvious poaching or forest degradation through
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unsustainable logging and overgrazing – are powerful deterrents for people who
travel to experience unspoiled nature.
Georgia
a. Geographical location:
Territory: 69700 km
Georgia is one of the South Caucasian countries located below the Great Caucasian Mountains,
between the Black and the Caspian Seas. It shares the borders with Turkey in the
southwest, with Russian Federation in the south, with Azerbaijan in the east and Armenia in
the southeast. The western part of the country is washed by the Black Sea. Neighbor
Countries: From South-West: Turkey, South-East Armenia, Azerbaijan. In the north from the
west to the east neighbor of Georgia is Russia.
36% of Georgian territories are located on 1500 meters above sea level. Relief is mountainous.
Two highest mountains Shkhara 5068m and Kazbegi 5037m confirm this. From the west
Georgia has the Black Sea, from the North and the S o u t h - big and little Caucasian
Mountain Range.
Climate
Climatic zones range from the heat of the subtropics to the eternal snow peaks of the
mountains, from a moderately humid Mediterranean-type climate to a dry continental climate.
In the lowlands, the summers are hot and winters are moderate. The most comfortable times to
visit Georgia are spring and autumn. However, summer is the best time to travel to the
mountainous highlands since roads are often closed from early autumn until late spring.
Time zone: GMT + 4:00
b. Economic and social indicators as incomes
Cross Border Cooperation between Black Sea Basin Countries originally is the Black Sea
Economic Cooperation to respond to the challenges facing the region and to develop a new
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approach to the resumption of the dialogue between the countries of the region. This
dialogue through tourism could strengthen the economic, political and security instruments
and will facilitate the consortium to enable to establish priorities for a better future. Therefore,
the main objective will be achieved through sustainable economic development, stability and
security in the Black Sea Region and our task is to perform through the development and
promotion of Sustainable Tourism, i.e. Rural tourism, Eco tourism and Agro tourism.
The International Labor Organization predicts that despite the negative effects of the global
economic and financial crises in the countries of the Black Sea Basin the International
tourism is experiencing significant growth. Over the next ten years, experts in the field of
tourism are expected to grow 4% per annum.
The Black Sea region's culture, geographical location, history and tourism in the area naturally
stimulate the development of the core elements. Thus, the positive economic impact of
tourism has the potential to become a leader in the field of co-operation within the region.
It is also important to note the advantages and disadvantages of tourism. Despite the fact
that it could have a positive economic impact on the balance of payments, employment,
the total gross income and production, it also may have a negative impact, such as ecology.
Although the Black Sea Region has natural advantages for the creation of a successful tourism
sector, there are many barriers that may interfere with this process. Regional
p r o b l e m s (corruption, poverty, frozen conflicts, improving infrastructure, underdeveloped
ecotourism) to solve, first of all, we need to agree on standards and regulations and the overall
strategic oversight of the public sector. Moreover, it is also important to recognize the role and
support of the local population, without complicated and managed strategic priorities of
the tourism system.
Studies have shown that these obstacles can be ov e r com e; tourism should be strictly
regulated by law, especially in developing democracies.
National authorities should ensure implementation of certain laws and create a national tourism
strategy to protect the environment, land, property and employment protection to become a tool
for the public, as these areas are under the influence of tourism.
Following regulations, governments need to ensure that the tourism industry in the planning
and construction management demonstrate strategic oversight. Strategic supervision,
provided by host governments to attract foreign investment and create a flexible
infrastructure, both within and between the countries of the Black Sea. At the same time they
should take into account the dangers that are thriving tourism as the industrial development will
cause environmental harm. Flexible infrastructure - although there are risks, but judiciously
planned infrastructure could become the decisive fact or, and the foundation of the economic,
ecological and social benefits that tourism brings. In other words, we can say that the
infrastructure is considered judiciously in the case of the "industry copes with the tourist flow
in a way that does not damage the natural and cultural heritage and does not conflict with local
interests."
Tourism is the key to successful environmental protection and preservation of cultural
values. The Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization member states governments should
ensure cross cultural relations create local community awareness and involvement in the process
conditions. Respect each other's cultural significance, the Black Sea countries in the region have
an opportunity to develop, both, a prosperous tourist industry and the environmental sector.
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c. Population and Demographics:
Population: 4 300 000
Ethnical Composition: 69% Georgians
National Minorities: Azerbaijanians, Armenians, Russians, the rest of Slavs, Greeks,
also Abkhazians, Ossetians, Jews, Germans and etc.
Religion:
The majority of Georgians belongs to the Georgian Orthodox Church: Georgia was one of the
first countries to adopt Christianity, which was spread already in the 1st century AD, but
became the official religion in the 4th century AD. However, the country is also known for
its tolerance for other religions; other faiths practiced in Georgia include Roman Catholicism,
Lutheranism, Armenian Gregorian, Protestantism, Judaism and Islam.
Basic cities:
Capital City Tbilisi – 1, 5 mil.
Kutaisi – 235 thousand
Rustavi – 159 thousand
Batumi – 136 thousand
Zugdidi – 100 thousand
Gori
– 69 thousand
Poti
– 50 thousand
Official Language: Georgian
The Georgian language is the part of the Caucasian language group.
4 million people speak Georgian.
d. Political Situation
Politics and State System of Georgia
From 9th April 1991 Georgia is an independent country. According to the 1995 Constitution,
Georgia is a Democratic Republic. The Parliament is the higher legislature of Georgia. The
President is Giorgi Margvelashvili since 2013. In Georgia the multi-party system is adopted.
In Georgia, political situation isn’t really something to worry about. While relations with Russia
are still tensed, Georgia is known as a mediator in the region and has fairly warm relations with
Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, the EU countries and even Iran.
Our government’s pro-Western stance means that American and European visitors have been
embraced proved that a peaceful, more or less democratic change of power is possible.
Georgian politics for tourism development:
The Georgian government has set travel and tourism as one of the key development areas and
increased efforts to establish the country as an attractive tourist destination. The Georgian
National Tourism Administration has developed promotional campaigns in domestic and
international markets and actively participated in international travel fairs. The cancelation of
visa requirements for Russians travelling to Georgia for up to 90 days has also had a positive
effect as the number of inbound arrivals from Russian rose by 72% in 2012. Neighboring
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countries, such as Turkey, Azerbaijan and Armenia, remained the most popular
source markets in terms of arrivals at the end of the review period. The number of inbound trips
from Western and Northern Europe also saw positive development, albeit growing from a low
base.
2015 is to be a year of opportunities
The Georgian capital Tbilisi has been chosen to be the host of an important global sporting
event- the Youth Olympic Festival in 2015.
Lifting up standards of infrastructure
Aiming to continue the positive development of the travel and tourism industry in Georgia, a
number of actions have been undertaken. The government announced its aim to prioritize the
development of infrastructure in the country. Major reconstruction work related to tourism is
already underway. In order to improve the travel accommodation category the government has
developed a Hotel Investment Initiative, which provides favorable conditions for investors to
enter the Georgian market. Further steps have been taken to develop a skilled human resource
pool, aiming to improve the quality of customer services in travel and tourism. The Georgian
National Tourism Administration is developing large-scale marketing campaigns, targeting new
markets and new tourist product development.
Bright future forecast
The outlook for the travel and tourism industry in Georgia looks bright as the country has great
opportunities for its development. Attempts by the Georgian National Tourism
Administration to attract more visitors to the country and to develop Georgia’s image as an
attractive tourist destination are expected to show positive results. The number of inbound
arrivals is forecast to keep growing, and experts believe that the development of the industry
will create new jobs and generate higher industry income between 2012 and 2017.
e. Number of social and tourism NGOs
NGOs are distinguished in international and national ones. 14 000 national NGOs have so far
been registered in Georgia since 1990, according to official figures, but most of them are not
functioning. A database run by the Civic Development Institute has registered 1 500 NGOs that
are active today, but the database is not complete. According to the statistics 82 NGOs work in
cultural and tourism fields
f. Information about the average salary, NGP, exports
Average Salary in Georgia: 500 GEL = 210 EUR
Georgia Exports
Exports in Georgia decreased to 223.61 USD Million in January of 2014 from 292.51 USD
Million in December of 2013. Exports in Georgia are reported by the National Bank of
Georgia. Exports in Georgia averaged 78.91 USD Million from 1995 until 2014, reaching
an all time high of 311.80 USD Million in November of 2013 and a record low of 7.09 USD
Million in March of 1995. Georgia's exports rely on low value added agriculture and mineral
products (worth around 72 percent of Georgia's exports to the European Union in 2010).
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Georgia’s main exports are metals, motor cars, nuts, fertilizers, wine and mineral
water. Georgia's main export partners are Turkey, Azerbaijan, Canada, Armenia, Ukraine,
Bulgaria and the United States.
g. General country tourism strategies, grants and supports from national
institutions to the tourism sector.
The National Tourism Strategy was produced and presented to public and private
sector stakeholders in Georgia. The Tourism Department began to implement many of the
recommendations in the strategy and the First Steps for Developing Accessible Tourism in
Georgia were undertaken.
On Friday, November 5,2013 Tourism Department of Georgia hosted a working meeting with
non-governmental organizations Coalition for Independent Living, “Parsa”, “Tanadgoma”
and representatives of those hotels in Georgia that provide all the living conditions identified by
the international standards for persons with disabilities. The meeting was dedicated to
discussions about developing accessible tourism in Georgia. All of the speech makers
underlined the importance of accessible tourism for the country which will significantly
increase the international image and economical achievements of Georgia together with
improving social problems for the disabled population of Georgia and creating an
accessible physical environment and equal opportunities for them. Georgia has been listed as
one of the leading countries in terms of tourism potential and thus has been attracting more and
more tourists over the years. As of today, the world's disabled population is up to 600
million and quite a significant portion of this population regularly travels to various countries.
Therefore, drawing these tourists would greatly benefit the economy and the civil society of
Georgia. It was planned at the meeting to organize another workshop in the near future where
representatives from state and non-state agencies and local and international organizations will
discuss concrete measures and methods for developing accessible tourism in Georgia.
2. Tourism sector in the country and in the region
From the statistical viewpoint, the performance of the tourism industry in Georgia in 2013
can be characterized as a period of further growth. In 2013 the number of international
arrivals grew by 22%, overstepping the five million mark for the first time. Fifth million
international travelers were rewarded. The high growth rate was also highlighted by
international organizations. According to the World Tourism Organization report, "UNWTO
World Tourism Barometer" (December, 2013), an increase in the number of international
arrivals in Georgia was rated as the highest in Europe.
Domestic and international tourism are important factors in the Georgian economy.
Expenditure of foreign guests in Georgia has a significant effect on balance of payment.
Approximately, 59% of Georgia’s service export revenue comes from tourism. This revenue,
consisting of International tourism receipts demonstrated an increasing trend reaching USD
1 333 574 thousand in I-III quarters of 2013. Although the share of tourism in total output
decreased in 2008 as a result of world financial crisis, since then it has shown significant
growth accounting for almost 6.6% of total output in III quarter of 2013.
Competitiveness of Georgian Tourism on the world market increased by seven positions
ranking 66th among 140 nations in the Travel & Tourism Competitiveness index (Score: 4.10
in 2013) compared with 2011 (73th position). In addition, according to “Rough guide”
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Georgia ranks 5th among the top ten countries to visit, behind Brazil and Turkey in
2014. Georgia was successful in international relations as well. Georgia has been elected as
Vice-President of the Committee on Statistics and the Tourism Satellite Account.
The outlook for the industry is highly optimistic. It is forecast that the industry will create more
jobs and generate more income in the years to come. The number of arrivals to Georgia is
expected to increase substantially thanks to various steps taken by the government in
general and the Georgian National Tourism Administration in particular.
Among the actions taken by the GNTA towards increasing the number of travelers in
the country are development of tourism infrastructure, facilitation of international travel,
improvement of service quality, large-scale marketing campaigns, targeting new markets and
tourist product development.
2.1 International Travel to Georgia
The comparison of growth rates in the world and Georgia shows that in the last five years
international arrivals in Georgia increased considerably faster than in the whole world. Even
in 2008, during the world financial crisis when arrivals worldwide fell by 4%, the number of
international arrivals to Georgia increased by 16%. The recent high growth rate was highlighted
by international organizations. According to the World Tourism Organization report,
"UNWTO World Tourism Barometer" (December, 2013), the statistics for the last three years
demonstrate that the most popular season among international travelers is summer which is
35% of total international arrivals.
The statistical data on tourists that have been found do not match the exact accuracy. For
example, any non-permanent resident, no matter how long their length of stay is considered as a
tourist despite the fact that a sizable number of entrants are arriving for business or trade
purposes. The future success of marketing campaigns in the tourist industry will depend on the
country’s ability to more accurately track the incoming visitors and their purpose for
travel. This report presents basic characteristics of international travel to Georgia for the period
of year 2013. The sphere of the main interest of the report includes trips for holiday, business,
visiting friends and relatives (VFR) purposes, expenditure during the trip and other reasons. In
addition, Georgia showed the highest relative increase of 39% in 2013 among the emerging destinations.
2.2 International arrivals by Years
International tourism in Georgia propelled ahead in 2013 as the number of international tourists
grew up and reached a new record total of 5,392,000.00
The number of international arrivals in Georgia increased by +8%, compared to the same period
of last year, while +3% growth was registered during the first six months of 2015.
According to the Annual Report of UNWTO, 2014 Georgia registered the strongest growth of
the tourists and keeps the 48th position among the countries of the world.
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Fig.1. International arrivals by years (GNTA)
The Government of Georgia provides tourists with a network of information centers
operating in Tbilisi and throughout the country, as well as a liberal travel policy. Georgia
demands no transit fees and sets no quotas, and there are no visa requirements for citizens of
EU countries, the United States, Turkey, Israel, Japan, Canada, Switzerland and other CIS
countries (except for Russia). Very simple, effective procedures allow citizens of other
countries to obtain visas directly at their point of entry into Georgia.
Fig. 2. Arrival of non-resident visitors in Georgia by years (GNTA)
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Georgia Structure of International Arrivals
10%
2%
Turkey
30%
Armenia
14%
Azerbaijan
Russia
Ukraine
Others
20%
24%
Fig.3. International arrivals top countries (%)
Table 1. International arrivals top 15 countries
Country
Turkey
Armenia
Azerbaijan
Russia
Ukraine
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2012
2013
1,533,236 1,597,438
921,929 1,291,838
931,933 1,075,857
Change
In %
64,202
369,909
143,924
4%
40%
15%
513,930
76,610
767,396
126,797
253,466
50,187
49%
66%
Iran
Iraq
89,697
6,947
85,598
41,239
-4,099
34,292
-5%
494%
Israel
Poland
30,851
20,563
39,922
36,946
9,071
16,383
29%
80%
Germany
USA
Greece
Kazakhstan
United
Kingdom
26,448
28,513
19,777
15,115
30,815
26,713
22,024
21,148
4,367
-1,800
2,247
6,033
17%
-6%
11%
40%
14,805
16,672
1,867
13%
France
12,004
14,239
2,235
19%
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2.3 Main Characteristics of International Travel
Total number of international visitors in 2013 and Jan.-Mar. 2014 is estimated to be around
5351021. A large majority, 87% of visitors were residents of the neighboring countries - Turkey
(29%), Armenia (22%), Azerbaijan (20%), and Russia (16%), while 10% of visitors came from
Europe and 3% from the rest of the world. (Figure 4)
3%
Turkey
10%
Armenia
29%
Azerbaijan
16%
Russia
20%
Europ
22%
Others
Fig. 4. The number of International visitors by countries
International visitors most often travel for holiday, leisure or recreational purposes (37%). Other
frequently observed visiting purposes include visiting friends or relatives (26%), transit (17%),
shopping (9%) and business/professional trips (4%). Only 8% of visitors reported other purposes.
(Figure 5)
37%
Holiday, Leisure, Recreation
26%
Visiting friends/relatives
17%
Transit on the way to another …
9%
Shoping
Business or Profesional
4%
Education or Trainings
2%
Health and Medical Care
2%
Other
5%
Fig. 5. Purpose of visit
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Most of the neighboring country residents have traveled to Georgia before. The highest share of
repeat visitors was observed among the residents of Azerbaijan (89%). In contrast, for larger share
of Europeans it was the first travel to Georgia.
Visitors’ average duration of stay is 5 nights and varies by country of residence. Visitors from
neighboring countries tend to stay for short periods except visitors from Russia, who spent on
average 8 nights in Georgia (Table 2).
Table 2: Duration of Stay
Country of
residence
Russia
Azerbaijan
Armenia
Turkey
Average
Overnights
8
4
4
2
60% of international visitors (3 226 953) stayed at least one night in Georgia, while 40% were
same day visitors (2 124 068).
Over 46% international trips were to the capital city of Georgia, followed by 41% trips to Batumi.
Other destinations had lower number of visitors. Among them Marneuli was the most popular
(8%), Kazbegi (8%), Rustavi (6%), Kobuleti (6%), Mtskheta (5%), Kutaisi (5%) and Borjomi 2%.
Most Visited Destinations in Georgia
The most visited cities of Georgia are Tbilisi and Batumi, 45.8% and 40.8% of total tourists go to
above-mentioned cities respectively. To fulfill the demand supply of accommodation units has
increased in Tbilisi by 17 from 2013 to 2014 and reached 147 to date; further increase is projected
in upcoming year. Several international hotel brands are presented in Tbilisi, their number is
expected to increase. Number of accommodation units in Batumi has increased by 40 from 2013
to 2014 reaching 102, to meet increased demand. There are several announced project, including
international brand hotels, which will be complete in next few year, increasing supply of
accommodation units.
Over 46% international trips were in the capital city of Georgia, followed by 41% trips to Batumi.
Other destinations had a lower number of visits. Among them Marneuli was the most popular (8%),
Kazbegi (8%), Rustavi (6%), Kobuleti (6%), Mtskheta (5%), Kutaisi (5%) and Borjomi 2%. Other
regions with a significant number of visits were Kakheti 7%, Imereti 5% and SamtskheJavakheti 3% (Figure 6).
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Total
Holiday
70%
46%
40% 41%
8%
Tbilisi
8% 6%
2%
6%
3%
13%
5%
5%
8%
5%
8%
Batumi Marneuli Kazbegi Rustavi Kobuleti Mtskheta Kutaisi
2%
5%
Birjomi
Fig. 6. The most visited Cities in Georgia
Prior to traveling to Georgia, international visitors used various sources for obtaining information.
43% learned about the country from their friends or relatives, 5% obtained information from
internet. More than a half of the visitors (59%) obtained information about the country from their
previous visits. As expected, first time visitors used more information sources prior to the trip.
“Friends and relatives” was most frequently applied information source
73%, 14% obtained information on Georgia from Internet, while TV was less applied information
source 10% (Figure 7).
41%
Previous visit
Friends & Relatives
43%
Internet
5%
Television/Radio
Organisation/Business partner
Other
5%
2%
59%
54%
11%
9%
5%
5%
11%
Holiday
Total
Fig. 7. Information sources
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The majority of the visitors surveyed were male (male – 72%; female – 28%). Visitors between
25 – 34 years old were the largest age group (31%) (Figure 8).
Male
Female
38%
31%
25%
12%
23%
20%
15%
14%
9% 8%
2% 2%
1% 1%
15-17
18-24
25-34
35-44
45-54
55-64
65-Over
Fig. 8. Age groups
Less than a half of the international visitors traveled to Georgia alone (37%), while others had at
least one companion during the trip. A typical companion is a family member/relative (40%).
Up to 21% of visitors were accompanied by friends (Figure 9).
Foreigner
Other
Member of a tour group
Colleagues
0%
0%
2%
6%
2%
1%
Friends
Alone
Locals
21%
1%
29%
29%
Family members/Relatives
38%
40%
Fig. 9. Persons accompanying on the trip
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Trip organization of locals
Most Georgians planned their travel themselves (66%). However, Family members also played an
important role in the organization of trips of international travelers with 21%.
Unfortunately, Georgian travel agencies and companies play a minor role in organizing
international trips for locals. Their share is only 2.1%. This suggests that there is a possibility to
increase potential of those organizations (Figure 10).
Rest
Other
My business/Company
Transit
Total
0%
0%
1%
3%
1%
Family members/Friends
10%
21%
29%
70%
66%
Myself
Fig. 10. Organizer of visit
Share of Tourism in Economy
Tourism Industry in Georgia has become one of the strongest fields contributing to the Georgian
Economy due to the rapid growth of international visitors during the last couple of years. It
has been more than 15 years since the Georgian National Tourism Administration has taken over
the tourism policy of Georgia and has become the only responsible entity for forming country’s
annual tourism strategies, increasing awareness of the country as an undiscovered travel
destination, reinforcing Georgia’s image on the world tourist map and developing domestic
tourism.
Between 2013 and 1st quarter of 2014, due to the increased demand, the total value added in
tourism sector rose by 1.1% and reached 5,906 ml GEL. The average expenditure per visitor is
GEL 800. As a result, tourism gross value added, as a proportion of GDP, increased from 5.9% to
6.6%. The development of shares of accommodation, meals in restaurants and hotels and
passenger traffic reflects the demand situation. The additional value added in the tourism industry
in the IIIrd quarter of 2013 was mainly driven by the accommodation (+15%) and passenger
traffic (air transport +81%, Rail Transport 3%, other transport +13%).
More detailed information about the contribution of tourism to the economy, tourism receipts
and employment can be found at the national statistics office website http://geostat.ge/ national
bank of Georgia website www.nbg.ge and Georgian national tourism administration website
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www.gnta.ge Total expenditure by international visitors during the estimation period (2013 –
Jan.-Mar. 2014) was over 3 209 514 995 GEL and the average expenditure per visitor is GEL 600.
The largest shares of visitors’ expenditure go on served food and drinks (29% of total expenses)
and accommodation (19% of total expenses). 19% of expenditure is made on shopping and only
14% was spent on Cultural and Entertainment Services. Detailed breakdown of international
visitors’ expenditures is given below (Table 3).
Table 3: Expenditures
To
Expenditure Components
Share of
Expenditure
Total
Expenditure GEL
943 672 386
606 038 439
602 764 217
448 090 929
335 363 639
273 585 387
Served Food and Drinks
Accommodation
Shopping
Cultural and Entertainment Services
Domestic Ground Transportation
Other Expenditure
29%
19%
19%
14%
10%
9%
The means of transportation used by international visitors to travel to Georgia was diverse.
Most frequently used transport was private vehicle (39%). Fewer visitors traveled by bus (38%),
followed by plane with 12%. Only 2% traveled to Georgia by train. (Figure 11).
Foreingners
Other
3%
2%
Train
2%
2%
Rented Car
Plane
Locals
6%
7%
12%
18%
40%
38%
Bus/minibus
32%
Private vehile
39%
Fig. 11. Means of transportation
Among the activities undertaken by visitors were: experiencing Georgia’s scenery (64%),
tasting Georgian cuisine (63%) and rest and relaxation (37%). (Figure 12).
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Foreigners
Locals
26%
22%
Other
Visiring Georgia's Historical Sites
32%
20%
Exhtectureploring Georgia's Ar
40%
24%
19%
Shopping
30%
Tasting Georgian wine
48%
35%
Experiencing Georgian Hospitality
36%
Rest & Ralaxation
43%
57%
37%
Fig. 12. Activities
International visitors were most satisfied by the Georgian nature and landscape. On the 4 point
scale, this parameter was evaluated by 3.8 points on average. Almost similar feedback received
Georgian cuisine 3.76 and Georgian wine 3.75. Visitors were least satisfied with Guesthouse
(3.41). (Figure 13)
Guesthouses/B&B
Travel agency/ Tour agents
Hotel facilities and setvice
Transport services
Tourism information
3.41
3.46
3.47
3.48
3.56
Value for money
3.57
Restourant facilities
3.57
Historical & cultural heritrage
3.69
Georgian Hospitality
3.71
Georgian wine
3.75
Georgian cuisine
3.76
Environment
3.8
Fig. 13. Satisfaction level
With regard to general satisfaction, 74.2% were very satisfied with the visit, 24,7% were
satisfied and only 0.4% expressed dissatisfaction. 0.5% did not answer the question.
The majority of the visitors (86%) did not face any particular problems. 4% had difficulties with
transportation, while 2% complained about foreign language capacity. Interestingly, 2%
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complained about road conditions in Kazbegi. Other frequent complaints about public toilets
(1.7%), p r o b l e m s related to difficulties with border crossing (1%) and navigating, road signs,
interpretation 1%.
Traditional Tourism and Local Tastes
Local tourism products: Traditional Handmade Crafts and Local Tastes: Omalo
Traditional Folk Arts Festival
Tusheti folk singers
Handicrafts exhibition
Khinkali makers
Georgia has a staggering number of regions (65), each with
their own set of culinary traditions, from the shores of the
Black Sea to the Caucasus Mountain Rage. A variety of
famous khachapuri (cheese-pie) according the regions,
different chicken and meat dishes accompanied with
vegetables, dressed with walnut sauce and local spices are
worth of all praise.
The cuisine offers a variety of dishes, high in herbs and
spices, a variety of vegetarian meals in addition to meat
dishes: organic fresh meats like pork or lamb, chicken or fish
dishes,
hazelnuts and walnuts, various sorts of
cheese, pickles and pungent seasonings,
eggplant, plums, corn, pomegranates, kidney
beans, wild herbs, coriander, scallions, hot
peppers, mint, basil, love of garlic and much,
much more fill homes and restaurants all
around the country.
Apart from alcoholic drinks Chacha and
wine, tasty Lagidze water is a Georgian
flavored soda made with a variety of natural
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syrups, sold bottled or mixed in the glass in a soda fountain. Types of mineral water from Georgia
are Borjomi, Nabeglavi and Sairme.
Types of tourism
Georgia has the great potential of tourism. Here a tourist can plan extreme tours and other short
tours. The professional guides will introduce the tourist to Georgian's traditions and culture.
They will show the tourist unique nature and unforgettable places.
Georgia can offer visitors diverse tours starting from Caucasus mountains till the Black sea cost;
mountaineering, climbing, hiking, mountain biking, skiing, paragliding, canoeing, rafting,
wildlife watching and etc. Also tourists can enjoy cultural tours through Georgia and black sea
cost for water sport activities. Nowadays, different tours are offered to tourists in Georgia by
hundreds of small and big tour companies; Tourism development is one of the first priorities for
Georgian government as well.
The Tour Agencies of Georgia offer different tourist tours:
BIKE TOURS
Different landscapes provide a good opportunity for organizing both
cross-country and mountain bike tours in Georgia. While biking in
beautiful nature travelers will have a chance to visit ancient historical
monuments, meet local people and get acquainted with local traditions
and lifestyle.
JEEP TOUR
The unique nature of t h e country makes the travel special.
During the jeep tour, the tourists will’ discover Georgia’s
wild nature, its wonderful forests and unique landscape.
The tourists will meet both forests and hills, mountains
and desert as well. It’s possible to travel by jeeps in the
alpine zone, on the snow. Georgia’s landscape and nature
make the journey wonderful.
RAFTING
There are a lot of rivers, lakes and reservoirs in Georgia.
There are more than 26 000 rivers and it makes rafting
amazing.
Here are different ways for rafting,
both
for
beginners and professionals, too. There are 6 ways for rafting,
by level.
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HORSE RIDDING
Georgia has an ancient tradition of riding. Elite Tour,
offers the tourists riding tours, both for beginners and
for professionals.
The riding tours provide complete equipment, also
overnights in camps and professional guide service.
Georgia’s unique nature makes riding tours
wonderful.
FISHING
Fishing is the best way to relax. Georgia’s rivers and lakes make
every fisher dreams come true. The specialists will give tourists
information about fishing seasons, places and any other
information, which is useful for fishing. Fishing tour provides:
fishing rod, fishnet, all useful equipment and professional guide
service.
HUNTING
For hunting lovers Georgia is very attractive place. Here
tourists can hunt on partridges, pheasants, ducks, wild
chicken and hogs.
The professional guides will help tourists to solve any
problem during hunting and give professional advices.
The service provides: accommodation, transportation, FB,
guide service, professional hunter’s service, full equipment
for hunting and license.
DIVING
Georgia is the reach of underwater nature. Here are a lot of
unique places for diving, in lakes, in underwater caves and
Black Sea too.
Tour provides: professional instructor service, full equipment,
meal, accommodation and transportation, also offers tourists
unique underwater hunting tours
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TREKKING
Georgia is unique for its flora and fauna.
During this tour tourists will get in villages, which
are in the high mountains, will get acquainted with
Georgian culture and traditions. Tourists will visit
unique lakes on the top of the mountain, canyons,
Mountain Rivers and beautiful gorges.
WINE TOUR
It is widely believed that this is where
wine production first began, over 7000
years ago. The wine is central to
Georgian culture and tightly bound to
their religious heritage. It is common
for families throughout Georgia to
grow their own grapes and produce
wine. Feasting and hospitality are
central pillars of Georgian culture, and
traditional banquets are presided over
by a toastmaster, or Tamada, who
proposes numerous toasts throughout
the meal, and ensures the wine, flows liberally. In Georgia the wine is considered a sacred
drink, so do not neglect the offer to taste it. Domestic table wines are not very strong. Semi
sweet red wine mainly preferred ladies.
CULINARY TOUR
Traditional Georgian cuisine is
very popular not only in
neighboring countries, but all
over the world. Rich, savory,
piquant, strikingly original and
very specific to the country,
Georgian Cuisine is the natural
extension of a fertile, mineral-rich
landscape fed by the pure waters
of the Caucasus Mountains. A
variety of famous khachapuri
(cheese-pie)
according
the
regions, different chicken and
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meat dishes accompanied with vegetables, dressed with walnut sauce and local spices are worth
of all praise. Georgia, a stop in Tbilisi is a great way to familiarize yourself with the
country’s unique history and culture of food and wine.
Membership of the different International Organizations and Agencies:
UN
UNWTO
UNESCO
- from 1992
- from 1994
- from 1992
10 cities are twinned with European and American cities, e.g. Tbilisi and Los Angeles, Kutaisi and
Newport (UK), etc.
There are about 150 museums and 12,000 monuments in Georgia, 4 of which are included in the
UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Fund, more than 45 historical memorials are under the
patronage of UNESCO and the Agency of World Heritage.
Table 4. Situation of the infrastructure related to the tourism:
Hotels
Guest houses
Boutique hotels
Family inns
Hotels according to their stars:
1star
2star
3star
4star
5star
Restaurants
Road transport, pipeline transportation
Water transport
Air transport
Complimentary transportation, tour operators activity
Of which:
Tour-operators
Number of the tour agencies
Number of registered tour guides
Number of people employed in the tourism sector
Number of employed persons in hotels
Among which:
Women
Men
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977
487
123
324
13 hotels
18 hotels
65 hotels
40 hotels
13 hotels
1761
1049
2
6
978
534
296
730
74 000 (14%)
10 561
4375
6186
2015
Open green and recreation areas:
Bicycle roads
- throughout the country except the mountainous areas
Natural walk paths - throughout the country (many of them aren’t still
marked and tourists - trekkers
have to address the local guides
Total number of museums
Of which:
History/Regional Studies
Literature studies
Arts
Museum Reserve
Memorial
Others
Annual (2013 – 1st quarter of 2014) attendance
Number of excursions
Number of exhibitions
188
61
2
18
11
78
18
34018
664
Accommodation
The most frequently used accommodation was hotel (43%). Slightly more than a quarter of the
tourists (34%) resided at friend’s or relative’s private apartment. Other types of accommodation
are less utilized by international visitors – 10% stayed in a guesthouse. (Figure 11).
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Fig. 14. Accommodation (%)
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Transportation links – highway, airway, train – way, seaports, etc.
Thanks to extensive public and private investments, Georgia offers an extensive network of roads,
railways, waterways, harbours and airports. The means of transportation used by international
visitors to travel to Georgia was diverse. Most frequently used transport was private vehicle
(39%). Fewer visitors traveled by bus (38%), followed by plane with 12%. Only 2% traveled to
Georgia by train (Figure 15).
Private Vechile
Bus/Minibus
Plane
Rest
Rented Car
Total
Train
Other
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
Fig. 15. Means of transportation
Followed by air transport: foreign airlines 12% and Georgian Airlines 3%. Train and sea transport
have an insignificant share with 3% and 1% respectively.
The optional way of getting to Georgia is by car or bus. Buses are leaving daily from Istanbul,
Ankara, Trabzon, Yerevan and Baku. Buses from/to Athens operate several times a week.
If you are fond of train travel, you can take an overnight train from Baku or Yerevan.
Getting to Georgia by the sea is one of the adventures ways, as the schedule of the ferries is
changeable according to the weather conditions. The coastal zone includes the 3 major port
cities of Batumi, Poti, Supsa terminal and soon will be Anaklia. Operation of the ports and related
infrastructure is an important activity here (see http://www.worldportsource.com/ports/GEO.php).
If you make a decision to travel to Georgia, choose the most convenient ways – flight. Many
direct flights from European countries and Asia, as well as good connections, make flight the
easiest way of entering the country.
The aviation market in Georgia has demonstrated considerable growth in the last few years.
Until 2003, the market was not open to competition being a monopoly of different business
groups. However, in recent period various steps have been taken towards liberalization, which
brought about a rapid increase in the number of flights and passengers. Major airlines operating in
Georgia are: Georgian Airways, Turkish Airlines, Lufthansa, BMI, Czech Airlines, China
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Southern Airlines, Qatar Airways, Alitalia, AZAl, Air Baltic, LOT, Air Astana, Belavia,
Ukraine International Airlines, Aerosvit, Estonian Air, Pegasus, Fly Dubai, Fly Georgia, etc.
Cultural heritage has always been of great importance and pride in Georgia.
The main body responsible for the protection of cultural heritage is the Ministry of Culture,
Monument Protection and Sport, in particular the Department of Cultural Heritage and the
Committee for Protection of Cultural Heritage. Some responsibilities are also allocated to the
National Committee of UNESCO under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Georgian Academy of
Sciences and the State Department of Archives under the Ministry of Justice.
Number of open museums or other related touristic places–
The museum system of Georgia consists of 255 museums of various profiles, which are
subordinated to and financed from different levels of authority.
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The Open-Air Museum of Ethnography with Museum of Georgian Folk Architecture
(Tbilisi). This collection of nearly 70 traditional, mostly wooden houses from around Georgia is
spread over a wooded hillside with good views, and makes an enjoyable visit.The most interesting
exhibits are in the lower section of the museum (near the entrance), where the buildings are kitted
out with fine traditional furnishings, rugs and utensils. There’s also an archaeological section,
which includes a basilica from the 6th and 7th centuries.
Georgia is a unique country possessing enormous tourism potential. Extended along the Black Sea
coast, it has about 300 mountain (Abastumani, Bakuriani, Bakhmaro, Gudauri, Utsera, Shovi, etc.),
seaside (Kobuleti, Ureki, Mtsvane Kontskhi, Makhinjauri, Batumi and etc.), balneotherapeutic and
mud (Borjomi, Sairme, Likani, Nunisi, Akhtala, Sulori and etc.) health resorts, both winter and
summer.
Utsera, Mamisoni Pass
Peack of Dadekvini Mountain in Racha
Open green and recreation areas – bicycle roads, natural walk paths, etc.
Tourism Industry in Georgia has become one of the strongest fields contributing to the Georgian
Economy due to the rapid growth of international visitors during the last couple of years. It has
been more than 15 years since the Georgian National Tourism Administration has taken over the
tourism policy of Georgia and has become the only responsible entity for forming country’s
annual tourism strategies, increasing awareness of the country as an undiscovered travel
destination, reinforcing Georgia’s image on the world tourist map and developing domestic
tourism:
Abkhazian resort-recreational region: Located in the conflict zone of Georgia, the region is
famous for its best coasts of the Black Sea, plentiful mineral waters, and mild subtropical
climate. The region unifies three picturesque protected areas: Ritsa, Avadkhara, Gagra,
Kindghi, Bitchvinta, Miusera, etc.
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Eastern-Caucasus resort-recreational region - is situated along the so called Georgian
Military Road. Important tourism centers of it are Kazbegi, which has a good alpinism
potential and very popular ski resort Gudauri.
Racha-Lechkhumi resort-recreational region: is popular for balneologic resorts Utsera and
Shovi, having similar tourism resources as the Svaneti region does.
Adjara Resort-recreational region: Similar to Abkhazia region in terms of tourism
specialization, Adjara Resort-recreational region is famous for its seaside tourism centers
such as Batumi, Kobuleti, Makhinjauri, Mtsvane Kontskhi (Green Cape), and Tsikhisdziri.
Borjomi–Bakuriani resort-recreational region: One of the most important tourism centers
of Georgia as it resides double functions – health resort in summer and skiing resort in winter. The
region unifies significant tourist centers such as Tsaghveri, Tsemi, Little Tsemi, Libani and
others.
Southern Osetian resort-recreational region: Located in the conflict zone of the country has
a tourist center Java which emphasizes climatic and service of balneologic tourism.
Samtskhe-Javakheti resort-recreational region: Exceptional mountain air and abundance of
mineral waters makes this place an important balneological resort. It features Phthisic resort
Abastumani and various unique cultural monuments.
Kakheti resort-recreational region – This is an especially important region for wine
production. Besides, it is famous for therapeutic mud resort Akhtala.
Kolkheti resort-recreational region: resorts: Tskaltubo, Tsaishi, Sulori, Menji and seaside
resorts such as Anaklya, Ureki, Grigoleti, Maltakva. Three thousand years old City of Kutaisi is
interesting in terms of its historical monuments.
Natural heritage information (National Parks, Longoz Forests, Touristic caves, etc.)
Natural heritage is the responsibility of the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment.
National Parks
Lagodekhi Protected Area: “Shaviklde Lake”
Not a single country in Europe possesses such rich
flora and fauna as Georgia. None of
European
countries offer such diverse relief in such a small
area. Nowhere in Europe is landscape preserved in
such an original state as Georgia." Georgia with a
territory of only 69,000 square kilometers is unique
among the world's nations in b i o -diversity. To
f i n d s u b t r o p i c a l m a r s h e s , s e m i -deserts,
lofty alpine zones and snowy peaks - all within a
hundred kilometers of each other - is rare. Add to this
the fact that nearly 40% of Georgia's territory is still
covered in forest - a large proportion of which is untouched by humans - and one understands the
establishment of its 31 Protected Areas, identified for conservation. Within these are five National
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Parks - with the aim to preserve their unique, pristine nature, yet open for visitors to enjoy their
beauty.
Vashlovani National Park
Tusheti Protected Area
Garden
Lagodekhi Protected Area
Mtirala National Park
Borjom - Kharagauli National
Park
Batumi Botanical
National Botanical Garden of Georgia
In Tbilisi vicinities you will see the amazing Botanical
garden which is located in the southern part of Tbilisi in the
river Tsavkisis- Tskani gorge between Tabori and Sololaki
ridges and on their slopes. There you will see the blooming
plants of unusual beauty, the 40 m waterfall and a little bridge
across the river grown with amazing flowers.
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Algeti National Park
Kintrishi Protected Landscape
Touristic Caves:
David Gareji Monastery
Kobuleti Managed Reserve
Uplistsikhe
Vardzia
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Handcraft Folklore Festivals and Various Exhibitions in Georgia
Every season Handicraft Folklore festival and exhibitions are held in Open Air Museum of
Tbilisi, where Georgians from different provinces perform handicraft exhibitions including
handmade textile and felt production, ancient musical instruments, chasing metal, pottery
making performance, also ritual and celebrating songs, based on harmony of polyphony, folk
dance... Famous Georgian Cuisine courses and sweets with red and white wine are offered.
The samples of handicrafts found in the excavations in Vani, Akhalgori, Armazi, Bagineti, Jinvali
and other burial places prove the highly artistic skills of the goldsmiths.
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These entire traditional handicrafts have been successfully continued by Georgians passing the
knowledge from generation to generation.
Information about the human resources employed in the tourism sector:
Employment Module in Tourism
In 2013 –beginning of 2014 the total number of persons employed in tourism amounted to 181.2
thousand. The largest share is employed in the transport sector, which accounts for 54% of tourism
employment. Other significant contributor is Hotels, Restaurants with 18% of tourism
employment. Employment in Hotels and restaurants increased at 20%, while in transport at 9%.
The total increase compared over the same period of last year is 1%, due to the decrease in
employment in other sectors of tourism In 2013 total contribution of tourism in employment
was 10%.
Number of the tour agencies - 296 companies, Number of registered tour guides – 730.
Number of people employed in the tourism sector – 74 000 (14%), Number of employed persons
in hotels 10561 of which women 4375 and 6186 men
3. Problems of the tourism sector in the examined region
As it has been already mentioned political and economical improvements needed for tourism
resources to flourish and attract more visitors can be considered as opportunities for the
growing industry.
Successful accomplishment of the reforms related to education, p o l i c e , anticorruption, public
service system and others are noticed. International recognition of success in combating corruption
in the country has helped promote investment and business climate in Georgia. SWAT
analyses looks like, as follows:
Strengths: inherited tourist attractions – cultural and historical heritage, cuisine, natural contrasts,
spa facilities as well as recent achievements – creation of a competitive brand - homeland of wine
and first Europeans, minimization of crime rate, simplification of public service system, etc.
Weaknesses: insufficient infrastructure and service staff skills - seen as opportunities by the
Government as it has started a number of programs aiming at infrastructure renewal and service
staff training.
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Opportunities: increased interest of reputed investors, international recognition of successful
reforms carried out in the country, cancelation of visa requirement for citizens of the Russian
Federation, potentially a major provider of visitors to Georgia, rapid growth of the national
economy allowing faster execution of tourist projects.
Threats: Political developments in neighboring country from the North; competitors - neighboring
countries offering similar cultural heritage and resorts
4. Challenges and Opportunities
Despite of the growth, the Georgian tourism industry faces serious challenges.
At many
conferences, synergy congresses devoted to Tourism Development the problems regarding poor
infrastructure and low quality service were underlined. “Tourists come to Georgia for its ancient
history and culture; they are often attracted to the high mountains and seaside regions, but we
can’t boast about having a high level of service either in the capital or in the countryside. For
instance, the thing that complicates exploring Tbilisi on your own is the absence of street signs in
English. Meanwhile, in the regions we hardly have any quality hostels or reasonably priced
hotels”. Also, we should mention bad marketing and lack of qualified guides as other problems.
We need to improve these points in order to attract more foreign visitors while raising the number
of domestic tourists. Georgia is challenged to develop tourism infrastructure, increase service
quality, enter new markets, promote Georgia to international markets and recruit qualified
staff in this business. There are a great number of notable and worthy opportunities to solve the
most important issues at the state level, i.e. at the Ministries of Economy, Culture, Education and
Science, as well as at Guide Association, National Tourism Agency, etc.
The wide range of opportunities – from spas to agro-tourism Opportunities for developing various
kinds of tourism facilities are as diverse as the Georgian landscapes. Examples include:
● Health spas and wellness tourism based on the rich heritage of more than 2,400 natural
springs bearing a wide variety of mineral composition
● Eco-tourism, including ecologically adapted exploration of protected areas, which make up
7% of the nation’s total territory, and 75% of which are covered in forest.
● Adventure sports, water sports and mountain sports, and all other types of low-impact tours
based on appreciating the natural environment such as bird watching, nature trekking and river
rafting, etc.
● Cultural tourism to explore some 12,000 monuments and remnants from 3,000 years of
cultural history.
● Agro-tourism, wine tourism and gourmet tours based on a tradition of more than 500 varieties of
grapes, native and unique crops and livestock as well as a cuisine rich in local recipes and
traditions.
The 16th International Tourism Fair will be held at the exhibition center “Expo Georgia” from 11
to 13 April, 2014.
Caucasus Tourism Fair is dedicated to the promotion of tourism products of the Silk Road
countries. This fair will help to develop a tourism infrastructure in Georgia and the integration of
the region into the world tourism market. Trade and public visitors will get the opportunity to
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receive information about services and products from exhibiting companies. Exhibitors profile
includes: tour operators, touristic agencies, airline companies, hotels, restaurants, insurance
companies, publishers, touristic associations.
The International Tourism Training Center began its functioning in Georgia.
Visitors' Profile
Visitor profile includes Travel Trade Members, Corporate and Business Travel Decision
Makers, Tour Operators, Travel Agents, Leisure and Holiday Travelers (FIT & Groups), Travel
Trade Members, Corporate and Business Travel Decision Makers, Leisure and Holiday Travelers,
National and International Representatives from Hospitality Industry, Travel Planners etc.
REFERENCES
1. Биржаков М. Б. Введение в ТУРИЗМ: Учебник. - Издание 8-е, переработанное и
дополненное. - СПб.: «Издательский дом Герда», 2006. - 512 с.
2. Tourism Statistical Report. (2015) 2nd Quarter. GNTA
3. Georgian Parliament report www.parliament.gov.ge
4. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia www.mfa.gov.ge
5. Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia www.mia.gov.ge
6. Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia: www.economy.ge/en/home
7. Georgian National Tourism Agency: http://www.gnta.ge
8. National Agency for Cultural Heritage of Georgia. http://heritagesites.ge/?lang=eng
9. Department of Tourism and Resorts of Adjara A.R. www.tourismadjara.ge/new/?lang=eng
10. International Center for the Black Sea Studies www.icbss.org
11. http://www.euromonitor.com/travel-and-tourism-in-georgia/report
12. http://heritagesites.ge/?lang=eng
13. http://georgianrecipes.net/tag/tourist-information/
14. www.un.org
15. www.unesco.org
16. www.unwto.org
17. http://www.iveria.biz/
18. http://www.advantour.com/georgia/index.htm
19. http://www.hansrossel.com/travel-informationtbilisi/public-transport.htm
20. http://www.worldportsource.com/ports/GEO.php
21. http://agenda.ge/article/2871
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Chapter 2. Georgian Tourism Industry Overview
(Georgian National Tourism Administration)
Contents
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
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Executive Summary
International Arrivals
Tourism an Important Sector of the Economy
The Aviation Market
Travel Behavior of International Visitors, 2013
Travel Behavior of the Georgian Residential Population
AccommodationMarket
SectorOutlook
Government Incentives
Poverty Alliminarion Through Rural Tourism Development
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1. Executive Summary
Travel and tourism is one of the largest and fastest-growing service industries globally. In 2014,
the share of tourism in world GDP amounted to 9% or 6% of the world’s exports. The sector
employed 1 in 11 jobs worldwide. Despite occasional shocks, international tourist arrivals have
shown virtually uninterrupted growth – from 25 million in 1950 to 278 million in 1980, 528
million in 1995, and 1087 million in 2013. UNWTO expects growth to maintain its steady rate at
about 3.3% until 2030 to reach 1.8 billion.
From the statistical viewpoint, the performance of the tourism industry in Georgia in 2013 can be
characterized as a period of further growth. In 2013 the number of international arrivals grew by
22%, overstepping the five million mark for the first time. The five-millionth international visitor
was even awarded a prize to stress the importance of the fact. The high growth rate in tourism was
also highlighted by international organizations. According to the World Tourism Organization’s
report, “UNWTO World Tourism Barometer” (December, 2013), the increase in the number of
international arrivals in Georgia was rated as the highest in Europe.
Domestic and international tourism are important factors in the Georgian economy. The
expenditures of foreign guests in Georgia have a significant effect on the balance of payments.
Approximately 58% of Georgia’s service export revenue comes from tourism. Revenues consisting
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of international tourism receipts demonstrated an increasing trend reaching USD 1,72 billion in
2013. Although the share of tourism in gross domestic product decreased in 2008 as a result of the
global financial crisis, since then it has shown significant growth, accounting for almost 6.5% of
GDP in 2013.
In 2013, there were a total of 1,065 collective accommodation establishments in Georgia,
comprising 15,967 rooms with 37,317 beds. These establishments are subdivided into hotels,
which number 418, with a total of 10,801 rooms and 23,904 beds; and other accommodation
establishments, which number 647 units and include 5,166 rooms with 13,413 beds.
The competitiveness of Georgian tourism on the world market increased by seven positions,
ranking 66th among 140 nations in the Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index in 2013 (Score:
4.10), as compared with 2011 (73rd position). In addition, according to “Rough Guides” Georgia
ranks 5th among the top ten countries to visit in 2014, coming behind Brazil and Turkey. Georgia
was successful in international relations as well, elected Vice-Chairman of the UNWTO Regional
Commission for Europe and Vice-President of the Committee on Statistics and the Tourism
Satellite Account. Georgia became a member of ICCA (International Conference and Congress
Association).
The outlook for the tourism industry is highly optimistic. It is forecast that the industry will create
more jobs and generate more income in the years to come. The number of arrivals to Georgia is
expected to increase substantially thanks to various steps taken by both the government in general
and the Georgian National Tourism Administration in particular.
Among the actions taken by the GNTA towards increasing the number of travelers in the country
is: the development of tourism infrastructure, the facilitation of international travel, the
improvement of service quality, large-scale marketing campaign, the increase of awareness about
Georgia, implementation of marketing activities on domestic and international markets and tourist
product development.
Development of tourism stands high in the priorities of the Georgian government. To spur sector
growth, various incentives are being offered to investors; among them are the Hotel Investment
Initiative and Free Tourist Zones to name but a few.
2. International Arrivals
International arrivals to Georgia have been growing rapidly over recent years. In 2013, their
number reached 5,392,303, representing growth of 22%. The highest growth rate was registered in
2012, when the number of international arrivals increased by 57%.
The border crossing registration procedure allows the identification of different types of arrivals.
Out of the total number of visits, 38% lasted longer than 24 hours, 40% were same-day visits, and
22% were for the purpose of transit.
A comparison of global growth rates and that of Georgia shows that in the past five years
international arrivals in Georgia increased considerably faster than in the rest of the world. Even
during the global financial crisis of 2008 when arrivals worldwide fell, the number of international
arrivals to Georgia increased by 23%. This recent high growth rate has been highlighted by
international organizations. According to the World Tourism Organization’s report, “UNWTO
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World Tourism Barometer” (December, 2013), the increase in the number of international arrivals
in Georgia was rated as the highest in Europe.
The statistics for the past three years demonstrate that the most popular season among international
travelers is summer. During this period, the number of international arrivals equaled 1,880,515,
(June: 490,796; July: 613,604; August: 776,115) (Fig.1), which is 35% of all international arrivals.
Fig. 1. International Arrivals by Months - 2015
The majority of all arrivals, 88% (4,732,529), were from neighboring countries: Turkey,
Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Russia; only 12% arrive from other countries. Turkey is the annual
leader in terms of the number of international arrivals. Although number of visits from Armenia
was greater in December with a total of 121,732 (27%), annual data showed Turkey to be in first
place with 1,597,438 arrivals (an increase of 4%). A significant increasing trend is observed in the
number of travelers from the Russian Federation. This has been caused by the visa liberation
process and the reintroduction of direct flights. In 2013 the increase in the number of arrivals from
Russia was 49%. The largest percentage increase was registered in February (138%) and March
(103%).
There has been a significant increase in the number of arrivals from Poland (80% ) and Ukraine
(66%), caused by the introduction of direct flights from Kutaisi International Airport to Poland
(Wizz Air), and the addition of flights in the direction of Ukraine. It is important to mention here
the significant role played by the marketing campaigns administered by the Georgian National
Tourism Administration. The introduction of direct flights to Iraq boosted the number of arrivals
from that country. In 2013 their number stood at 41,239, a 494% increase over last year.
In 2013 there were 208,754 international arrivals from EU countries, representing a 4% share of
total arrivals and an increase of 22% over last year.
The largest share of visitors, 87% (4,699,387) arrived in Georgia by land transport, followed by air
transport, 585,701 (11%). Arrivals by sea and railway had almost the same share of 44,239 (1%)
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and 62,976 (1%) respectively. The busiest border is Sarpi (Turkish border), which saw 1,605,666
crossings in 2013, amounting to 30% of all border crossings. This is followed by Sadakhlo
(Armenian border) at 17% and Tsiteli Khidi (Azerbaijani border) at 16%.
3. Tourism an Important Sector of the Economy
Travel and tourism is one of the largest and fastest growing service industries globally. According
to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), the industry’s direct contribution to world
GDP in 2013 was USD 2.2 trillion (2.9% of GDP) and it supported 101 million jobs. Taking into
account its combined direct and indirect impacts, the WTTC assesses Travel and Tourism’s total
economic contribution to be 9.5% of world GDP in 2013; it is responsible for 1 in 11 jobs, 4.4% of
total economic investment and 5.4% of world exports (Economic Impact of Travel and Tourism
2014, Annual Update, WTTC). The following indicators are for Georgia: The direct contribution
of Travel & Tourism to GDP in 2013 was GEL 1,660.5mn (6.2% of GDP). This forecast was to
rise by 6.4% to GEL 1,766.8mn in 2014.This primarily reflected the economic activity generated
by industries such as hotels, travel agents, airlines and other passenger transportation services
(excluding commuter services). But it also includes the activities of the restaurant and leisure
industries directly supported by tourists. The direct contribution of Travel & Tourism to GDP is
expected to grow by 6.1% pa to GEL 3, 189.3mn (7.1% of GDP) by 2024 (Fig. 2).
Fig. 2. Share of Tourism in GDP
Tourism – an Invisible Export
The expenditure of foreign guests in Georgia has a huge effect on the Georgian balance of
payments. Approximately 58% of Georgia’s service export revenues come from tourism. On the
asset side, the balance of payments reports Georgia’s income from travel by foreign visitors in
Georgia, and on the liabilities side, it shows expenditure by the Georgian residents while abroad.
In 2013, the foreign exchange income from foreign tourism in Georgia amounted to USD 1.72
billion. Compared to 2012, this indicator increased by 22%.
Foreign exchange expenditures for foreign tourism in Georgia amounted to USD 0.29 billion
compared to 2012, this indicator also showed an increase of 15%.
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In 2013, the balance of foreign tourism in Georgia amounted to USD 1.43 billion compared to
2012, this indicator also increased by 23%.
Employment Module in Tourism
In the fourth quarter of 2013, the total number of persons employed in tourism amounted to 168.8
thousand. The largest share is employed in the transport sector, which accounts for 57% of all
tourism employment. Other significant contributors are hotels and restaurants, with 20% of
tourism employment. Employment in hotels and restaurants has increased by 17%, while in
transport by 6%. The decrease of total employment compared to the same period last year is 6%,
due to decrease in employment in other tourism sectors. In 2012 the total contribution of tourism
to employment was 10%.
Share of Tourism in the Economy
Between 2012 and 2013, the total value added in the tourism sector increased by 10% and reached
GEL 1.5 billion due to increased demand. As a result, tourism’s gross value added, as a proportion
of GDP, increased from 6.1% to 6.5%. The additional value added in the tourism industry in 2013
was mainly driven by accommodation (increase 13%) and passenger traffic (air transport increase
28%, other transport increase 3%) (Fig. 3.).
Fig. 3. International Tourism Receipts (X1000 USD)
4. The Aviation Market
The aviation market in Georgia has demonstrated considerable growth in the past few years. Three
international and one domestic airport operate in Georgia, fully complying with International Civil
Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards. Georgia’s aviation market is primarily international,
with the majority of flights being served by Tbilisi International Airport.
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Tbilisi and Batumi International Airports are run by a Turkish company - TAV Airports Holding
Co. They started operations in February and May 2007, respectively Mestia Airport (Queen Tamar
Airport) was officially opened in 2011. The capacity of Tbilisi and Batumi International Airports
is 2,000 and 300 passengers/ hour respectively. As regards Mestia Airport, its capacity is 100
passengers/hour. The construction of Kopitnari International Airport (Kutaisi) was finished in
September 2012. Its opening was marked by the launch of flights by the low-cost carrier (LCC)
Wizz Air from Kutaisi to Kiev. Wizz Air is the third LCC in the Georgian market after Pegasus
and Fly Dubai.
Airlines
According to the Georgian Civil Aviation Agency (GCAA), Turkish Airlines is the dominant air
company operating in Georgia and it has the largest number of passengers. In 2013, it served
327,912 (19%) passengers. Georgian Airways is the second most popular airline with 208,641
(12%) passengers. It is followed by Pegasus – 165,244 (9%) passengers; Ukraine International
Airlines – with 161,168 (9%); Wizz air– 126,038 (7%); Belavia – 95,605 (5%) and Siberia
Airlines (S7) – 88,283 (5%).
There are two airline companies offering charter flights to Moscow: Siberia Airlines and Georgian
Airways. The entry of new airlines from Russia to the Georgian aviation market is in the process
of negotiations.
In 2013 a new Turkish airline, Atlas jet international, began daily flights from Istanbul to Tbilisi
and back. It will launch direct flights Tbilisi-Antalya-Tbilisi from summer 2014.
The Iraqi air company Al Naser Airlines also started to perform regular flights from Tbilisi
International Airport in 2013. It began flights to three destinations from Tbilisi. The flights NajafTbilisi, Basra-Tbilisi and Baghdad-Tbilisi were performed five times per week during daytime
hours.
The first flight from Najaf arrived on July 4, 2013, and brought the company’s management to
Tbilisi International Airport. There are 24 foreign and one national airline companies offering
regular flights from Georgia. This year is going to be quite challenging for Georgia’s aviation
industry. New airlines are entering the market, while others are expressing greater interest and
increasing flight frequencies on various routes. The major airlines operating in Georgia are:
Turkish Airlines, Georgian Airways, Ukraine International Airlines, Pegasus, Belavia, S7,
Lufthansa, Qatar Airways, Fly Georgia, Air Astana, Fly Dubai, LOT, Air Baltic, Ata Airlines,
Azerbaijan Airlines, etc.
5. Travel Behavior of International Visitors, 2013
A total of 60.3% of visits included at least one overnight stay and 39.7% were day trips. Out of a
total of visits, 69% were repeat visits and 31% of trips were for the first time. Thus, Georgia had
up to 1,643,241 new visitors within the period covered.
Most of those visiting from neighboring countries have traveled to Georgia before. The highest
share of repeat visits was observed among residents of Azerbaijan (89%). In contrast, a larger
share of European visitors came to Georgia for the first time.
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Duration and Purpose of Travel
The average duration of a trip was five nights and varied by country of residence. Visits from
neighboring countries tend to last for shorter periods, except for visits from Russia, which
averaged eight nights.
International visits were mostly undertaken for holiday, leisure or recreation purposes (37%).
Other frequently observed purposes included visiting friends or relatives (26%), transit (17%),
shopping (9%) and business/professional trips (4%). Only 7% of visits were for other purposes.
Accommodation
The most frequently used form of accommodation was hotels (43%). Slightly more than a third of
tourists (34%) resided at a friend’s or relative’s private apartment. Other types of accommodation
were less utilized by international visitors, 10% stayed in a guesthouse/hostel.
Travel Destinations
46% of international trips were to the capital city of Georgia, followed by 41% of trips to Batumi.
Other destinations had a lower number of visits. Among them Marneuli and Kazbegi were the
most popular (8%), other destinations included: Rustavi (6%), Kobuleti (6%), Mtskheta (5%),
Kutaisi (5%) and Borjomi 2%.
6. Travel Behavior of the Georgian Residential Population
In 2013, the most domestic trips were made by inhabitants of villages; mainly vacations were spent
in the central cities of Georgia.
While women and men make about the same number of domestic trips, a comparison between
different age groups shows differences in travel behavior. Whereas people aged 18 to 24 were the
most frequent travelers, taking 2.95 trips per year, people aged 55-64 took an average of 1.7 trips.
Duration and Purpose of Travel
Visitors’ average overnight trip length was three nights and varied by place of residence. Visitors
from Tbilisi tend to stay for longer periods (four nights on average) while other visitors spent two
nights on average away from their usual environment.
Domestic visitors most often travel for visiting friends or relatives (VFR) (45%), followed by 15%
of trips for holiday, leisure and recreation. Only 3% traveled for business or professional purposes.
Other frequently observed visiting purposes include shopping (12%), health and medical care (9%)
and visits to second home (4%).
Travel Destinations
The most common destination was Tbilisi, 25% of domestic trips were to the capital city of
Georgia, followed by 8% of trips to Batumi and Kutaisi. Among other visited destinations were:
Mtskheta (4%), Telavi (2%), Zugdidi (2%), Gori (2%) and Rustavi (2%). Between regions most
popular places were Imereti, Ajara and Kakheti with 17%, 12% and 8% respectively.
Accommodation
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63% of domestic travelers stayed in a private home of their relative or friend. This is partially due
to the influence of the VFR segment. Considerably large number (14%) of Georgians stayed in
their own houses, while 8% stopped in their second summer houses.
7. Accommodation Market
The seaside region of Ajara and Samtskhe-Javakheti, dominate the Georgian hotel market. In
Georgia there are around 1,065 accommodation units with a total capacity of 37,317 beds. The
Adjara region boasts the largest number of beds.
Hotels account for 64% of the bed capacity, followed by family houses 17%, and guest houses
13%. With the increasing number of visitors, medium-term demand is already outstripping current
supply. Consequently, it is expected that the supply of accommodation will increase considerably
to keep pace with demand.
Tbilisi boasts several international hotel brands: Radisson Blu Iveria, Tbilisi Marriott, Courtyard
Marriot, Sheraton Metechi Palace, Holiday Inn and Citadines. Several other international chains
are expanding in the city as well. As regards Batumi, Sheraton and Radisson Blu hotels have
recently opened there and other major hotel projects are under construction, including: Kempinski,
Holiday Inn, Ritz-Carlton, Hilton and Marriott, to name but a few.
A number of brand hotels are starting operations in the spa resorts of Georgia as well.
Planned and Ongoing Construction
There are currently around 80 planned and ongoing constructions of accommodation units in
Georgia, including brand hotels: Radisson, Kempinski, Holiday Inn. The majority of construction
(88%) takes place in Tbilisi and the Ajara, Samtskhe-Javakheti, Imereti and Kakheti regions.
The estimated number of additional rooms being constructed is 4,000, with more than 7,000 beds.
8. Sector Outlook
Against the backdrop of the global economic crisis, the Georgian tourism industry continues to
grow. The outlook for the industry is highly optimistic. It is forecasted that the industry will create
more jobs and generate more income in the years to come. The number of arrivals to Georgia is
expected to increase substantially thanks to the various steps taken by both the government in
general and the Georgian National Tourism Administration in particular.
Among the actions taken by the GNTA towards increasing the number of travelers in the country
is: the development of tourism infrastructure, the facilitation of international travel, the
improvement of service quality, increase of awareness about Georgia, implementation of
marketing activities on domestic and international markets and tourist product development.
The development of tourist infrastructure stands high amongst the priorities of the government.
New tourist information centers are in the process of construction throughout the country.
Significant steps were taken towards travel facilitation and visa relaxation. Georgia has a no-visa
policy with majority of countries. Among them are citizens of the United States, Canada, and
European Union member states, who can enter Georgia solely on the basis of an Identity Card.
Travelers from most other countries are given visas on arrival.
Another significant issue is service quality enhancement. This is achieved through intensive
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training for representatives of the tourism and hospitality industry throughout Georgia. Among the
new services introduced for tourists were 24-hour hotline (#0800 800 909) and a team of mobile
guides distributing information about Georgia.
The GNTA has actively worked to increase awareness of Georgia internationally. For this purpose,
famous Georgians were appointed as representatives of Georgian National Tourism Administration
in U.K. and Japan to promote Georgia as a tourism destination.
Marketing undoubtedly plays a vital role in tourism growth. Activities undertaken by the GNTA
cover promotional campaigns on both domestic and international markets, press and
familiarization trips, participation in international travel-fairs, production of print materials, social
media marketing, etc.
Choosing the right markets is undoubtedly an integral part of marketing. While maintaining
existing markets, the GNTA also concentrates on tapping into new countries. Seven presentations
were held in Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Lithuania and Latvia in 2013. Events were attended by more
than 600 travel companies and media representatives. GNTA hosted 22 press and FAM trips and
organized eight events of different themes throughout the country.
Making the most of Georgia’s rich natural and cultural resources by offering new tourist products
provides increased possibilities for targeting travelers of different tastes. The GNTA efforts focus
on the development of different types of tourism such as MICE, wine, eco, and adventure, to name
but a few.
As a result of these projects competitiveness of Georgian tourism on the world market increased
by seven positions, ranking 66th among 140 nations in the Travel & Tourism Competitiveness
index in 2013 (Score: 4.10), as compared with 2011 (73rd position). In addition, according to
Rough Guides Georgia ranks 5th among the top ten countries to visit in 2014, coming behind
Brazil and Turkey.
Georgia was successful in international relations as well. In 2013, agreements of cooperation in the
field of tourism were signed with six countries (San Marino, Hungary, Poland, Serbia, Montenegro
and Estonia).
As regards cooperation with international organizations, Georgia was elected as Vice-Chairman of
the UNWTO Regional Commission for Europe and Vice-President of the Committee on Statistics
and the Tourism Satellite Account. Georgia became a member of ICCA (International Conference
and Congress Association).
European Youth Olympic Festival 2015
The 39th General Assembly of the European Olympic Committees chose the Georgian capital to
host the Youth Olympic Festival in 2015. Over 4,000 athletes from 49 European countries will
participate in the festival taking place in Tbilisi. The sporting infrastructure of the city will be
renovated according to European standards and an “Athletes’ Village” will be built. For this event
the city of Tbilisi is expected to host more than 10,000 visitors, most of them will require middle
class hotel accommodation and the rest will need high class hotel accommodation, all within
Tbilisi. Considering the fact that there are only 6,207 bed-places in Tbilisi (including guest houses
and family home stays), there is an immediate need for new hotel investment to fill the gap in
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supply. This festival represents a good opportunity for the country to showcase its rich tourism
potential.
UEFA Super Cup 2015
The UEFA Executive Committee has given Tbilisi the opportunity to host a mega sport event, the
UEFA Super Cup. The UEFA Super Cup is an annual football match between the winners of the
Champions League and the Europa League. The game will be held at the newly renovated Mikheil
Meshki Stadium or Dinamo Arena. This event will gather football fans from all over the world.
9. Government Incentives
The Georgian government has declared tourism and hotel industry development to be a high
priority. Various investment initiatives have been proposed to spur the sector’s growth, among
them are:
• The Hotel Investment initiative giving investors the opportunity to enter the Georgian market
in an immediately competitive position by offering the following benefits:
 Access to prime real estate locations through privatization
 Privatized property acquisition through a direct sale
 Significant discounts on current market value for privatized properties
 Land plots, Greenfield projects, and properties with suitable buildings for Brownfield
projects
 Preferential terms from municipalities, such as Tbilisi and the regional centers
•
Free Tourist Zones giving investors special privileges in Kobuleti and Anaklia/Ganmukhuri.
Investors making investments of USD 1-3 mln in Kobuleti are offered the following:

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Free Land
Free Hotel Master Plan
Free casino license for hotel capacity over 100 rooms
Exemption from profit and property taxes for 15 years
Fully provided engineering utility networks and corresponding outdoor infrastructure
•
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
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After the successful initiation of Kobuleti, the Anaklia/Ganmukhuri Free Tourist Zone was
established. The Special package for investors here is as follows:
Free land
Free Hotel Master Plan
Full engineering utility networks (water, electricity, gas)
Exemption from profit and property taxes for 15 years
Mineral water pipe supply for the new resort
Free casino license for hotel capacity over 80 rooms
Georgian citizenship for foreign investors
In addition to the current possibilities of entering the market through joint ventures and
acquisitions, there are many opportunities for investors to enter not only as hotel owners, but also
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as hotel operators. For example, there are many individual Georgian hotels that are currently
interested in working with an international operator as a way to increase revenues and occupancy
rates.
For hotel owners, considering the supply gaps that currently exist, the market is open to any form
of new investment. Not only do hotel investors have access to prime real estate locations, but they
can work with the Georgian Government and municipalities like Tbilisi to negotiate preferential
terms.
10. Poverty Elimination Through Rural Tourism Development Started With Village
Utsera, Oni District, Upper Racha Region, Georgia
FOLLOWED UNWTO PROGRAM S-T-E-P
INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR CAUCASUS TOURISM
GNTA has been grateful to the ICCT for the co-operation in the field of tourism development for
it’s contribution to existing activities and in the future we hope to maintain and increase our
partnership.
ICCT is a non-governmental, non-for-profit organization. ICCT was established by the group of
experts working in the tourism sector as well as in other areas like sociology, business and culture
and etc. ICCT aims at the development of rural tourism industry through the design and
implementation of multi – spheres researches, educational projects, trainings and other activities.
Poverty alleviation has become an essential condition for peace, environmental conservation and
sustainable development, besides being an ethical obligation in our country, where the divide
between poor and rich seems to have increased in recent years. At the same time rural tourism, if
developed and properly managed in a sustainable manner, can make a significant contribution to
alleviate poverty, especially in rural areas, where most of the poor live and where there are very
few other development options. We examined a number of communities where rural tourism has
been fundamental in reducing poverty in Georgia. The more we learnt the more evidences were
shown that rural tourism could make to achieving one of the most pressing goals: alleviating
poverty.
Therefore from the very beginning the priority of ICCT activities and researches has become
poverty alleviation through poor population involvement in Rural Tourism.
Our attention was particularly focused upon the directions, as follows:

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Local population employment in tourism enterprises;
Women and youth involvement in tourism service;
Direct sales of goods and services to visitors by the poor (informal economy);
Establishment and running of tourism enterprises by the poor - e.g. micro, small and
medium sized enterprises (MSMEs), or community based enterprises (formal economy);
 Voluntary giving/support by tourism enterprises and tourists.
Sustainable Tourism – Eliminating Poverty
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Large-scale rural tourism is not yet a mature practice in Georgia, but experts are all optimistic
about its prospects since many rural areas are rich in tourism resources, which are attracting more
and more holiday makers.
Tourism is one of the engines of world development, which can help three fourth extremely poor
populations living in rural areas worldwide to better shake off poverty.
The advantage of rural tourism lies in the fact that poor people can gain benefits from other's
business strategies and existing markets, the official said, and it can drive a large number of people
out of poverty. So we should encourage tourism enterprises to employ poor people in large
numbers and to provide job opportunities for them.
The root of poverty lies in low-level skills of people, experts hold, while rural tourism can not only
help to better economic conditions of farmers, but create opportunities for them to raise cultural
and education quality.
Tourism is an effective "exploring way" of poverty alleviation, said an official from the National
Tourism Administration. People who get rich through tourism have a lower rate of returning to
poverty and they can be embarked on the road of wealth faster.
International Center for Caucasus Tourism holds that the function of rural tourism should to be
reflected in various aspects our comprehensive and collaborative activities. We’ve adopted the
decision to add RT issues to the priorities. We make sure that development of rural tourism should
be combined with the building of a well-off society in an all round way and the tackling of
problems related to local population alternative income, living conditions raise in rural areas and
especially women’s involvement in tourism industry.
At the outset we’d like to start with village Utsera, Oni District, Upper Racha Region. There were
searched and found statistics and needed materials relied upon docs offered by Ministry of
Regional Development and Infrastructure, Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development,
Tourism and Resorts State Department and local, Racha Region Administration, data, other
official docs. We’ve managed to find local stakeholders apparently interested in native land
promotion through RT expansion.
Sources:
Georgian National Tourism Administration
Assessment of Ecotourism Potential in Georgia. IUCN.
Agency of Protected Areas of the Ministry of Environment Protection and Natural Resources
Georgia
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Chapter 3.Vocational Tourist Education for Youth Involvement in
Sustainable Rural Tourism to Reduce Poverty and Prevent
Emigration in the Black Sea Region
Content
1. Vocational Education a step towards skills' development
2. Formal and Informal Education
3. ICCT for Youth resources to develop sustainable rural tourism
(Debate Club S-T-E-P will contribute in youth professional orientation)
4. Poverty alleviation and migration prevention in mountainous regions through
sustainable tourism development and youth participation
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1. Vocational Education a step towards skills' development
"Education is a preparation for life";
VET is the gradual process of acquiring knowledge; it is the education and coaching for work.
Responsible entities offering VET to interested individuals are:
 Higher Institutions (Universities, Institutes, Various Schools-Departments)
 Vocational Schools, colleges, lyceums
 Training centers
 Governmental and non-governmental structures
VET provides people with the skills and knowledge they require in order to:
 Enter the workforce for the first time
 Be trained or re-trained for a new job
 Upgrade skills
 Give the capability to move into further study in VET or Higher Institution.
Diverse economic structures, where the modern sector, traditional crafts and traditional trade
coexist with an informal sector, need a well-differentiated vocational education and training
system. This is the only way to meet the demand both of enterprises and workers or jobseekers.
Enterprises need qualified staff; young people need basic vocational training; adults need regular
training to update and upgrade their vocational skills.
2. Formal and Informal Education
Formal education is classroom-based, provided by trained teachers. Informal education happens
outside the classroom, in after-school programs, community-based organizations, museums,
libraries, or at home. What are the main differences between the two?
 In general, classrooms have the same students and the same teachers every day. After-school
programs are often drop-in, so attendance is inconsistent, as is leadership.
 Classroom activities can last several days. After-school programs need to complete an activity
each day because a different group of students could be in attendance tomorrow.
 Classroom-based teachers have a certain level of training in educational philosophy, effective
teaching strategies, classroom management, and content. After-school providers, by contrast,
vary in experience and knowledge of teaching techniques, content expertise, and group
management. Typically, materials for after-school settings need to include a lot more
structure.
 Teachers need to meet educational standards and stick to a specified curriculum, which can
make it difficult for them to incorporate nontraditional content. After-school programs, on the
other hand, can be more flexible with their content.
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Both formal and informal education settings offer different strengths to educational outreach
projects. If your project fits the classroom, it can have a sustainable life; teachers will use trusted
resources for years. After-school programs offer a different kind of environment, where your
activities don't need to be as formal and where you can reach a different audience.
While both schools and after-school programs serve students, many students who feel
disenfranchised at school blossom in after-school settings. Real learning can happen in a setting
where students feel less intimidated or more comfortable than they do in a formal classroom. The
ultimate goal is that their success in an informal setting can lead to greater confidence in the
formal classroom.
3. ICCT for Youth resources to develop sustainable rural tourism
(Debate Club ST-EP will contribute in youth professional orientation)
The specific objectives of Youth PATH are to:
1. Train youth (provide trainings)
2. Develop community (rural) cultural and natural heritage sites as viable touristic attractions
3. Create employment for youth from marginalized/disadvantaged communities. There are
employment opportunities for young people; they are interested in being involved in new activities
4. Tourists visit surrounding communities daily/weekly and thus sites in communities/rural areas
have the potential to be visitor attractions.
5. Village elders must be more involved in passing on their knowledge to the youth.
Ensuring Community Involvement in Mobilization Activities
Area
Try to
Community Involvement  Keep communication channels open: use visual and
interactive tools when appropriate; they tend to encourage
openness and willingness
 Aim to achieve consensus on ideas
 Invest in long-term relationships
 Form and maintain good relations with communities
 Form focus/target groups within a community and organize
a working team of community members --including youth,
and keep them up-to-date on activities
The
involvement
of  Organize a working team of elders
 Remind elders how important they are as sources of
Elders
heritage information, based on their knowledge of the
traditions and culture of the area
 Organize a working team of storytellers comprising elders
and youth
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Youth must be stronger in creating more awareness with the entire community; elders must help
youth to achieve goals in the interest of all. Village elders play important roles in youths’ lives;
they can pass on knowledge through workshops in nearby villages to boost new initiatives and
pave the way for future innovations
Networking also is an important for the publicity of youth activities. A motivated community
forms a strong network for advertising sights by word of mouth. We already know that
professionals are required in the planning and implementation stage, they are very important for
sustaining the activities. Youth team must work or continue to work with experts in the areas of
tourism, environment, cultural heritage, and conservation.
4. Poverty alleviation and migration prevention in communities through sustainable tourism
development and youth participation
The world has never been as rich as it is today, yet over one billion people suffer from extreme
poverty. UNESCO is committed to raising awareness to the fact that freedom from poverty is a
fundamental human right.
Poverty may be defined as a human condition characterized by sustained or chronic deprivation of
the resources, capabilities, choices, security and power necessary for the enjoyment of an adequate
standard of living and other civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights (United Nations
Committee on Social, Economic and Cultural Rights, 2001)
Tourism development is attractive to the pro-poor and poverty alleviation agenda because tourism
is "consumed" in the same place where it is produced, the tourist visiting the destination and
buying goods and services there. In addition, tourism is highly labour intensive, employing large
numbers of people in different activities, including high percentages of young people and women.
It can take place in remote, otherwise peripheral areas that have strong cultural traditions and
largely untouched natural environments but few economic options. Tourism is also growing in the
developing world, notably in least-developed countries, and it often involves, through tourist
spending in tourism destinations, the direct transfer of financial resources from the developed to
the developing world.
Strategies taking advantage of these features of tourism for poverty alleviation have included those
focused on the direct provision of economic benefits for local populations at tourist destinations,
including job-creation, the development of small business opportunities supplying tourists with
goods, such as handicrafts, or services, such as accommodation, food, transport, or with other
forms of assistance, such as guides. Activities of this sort all have the potential directly to support
local household incomes. In addition, the development of community-based organizations and
local cooperatives can allow the benefits of tourism to be ploughed back into local development,
such as through the establishment of community funds, and the sharing of economic benefits
among the whole community, such as through joint management of communal resources turned
over to tourist development, for example local land rented out for campsites. Aside from poverty
alleviation strategies directly designed to support local incomes, further strategies have focused on
using tourism development to improve training and skills-building opportunities for local people.
Other strategies have used tourism development to support local participation in planning and
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development issues, turning over ownership of facilities to local people and thereby building local
capacities and encouraging the claiming of economic, social and cultural rights. These strategies
have the advantage of working hand-in-hand with current thinking on poverty alleviation, which
sees poverty as multi-dimensional and stresses the need for a "capability approach", or one that
builds capacities, to its alleviation.
Each sight in communities are significantly different in terms of culture and resources, the
existence of common problems that could be alleviated through community-based sustainable rural
tourism development means that common strategies can be developed and shared, that are:
 Strategies to provide economic benefits for local populations, including job-creation and the
development of small-business opportunities supplying tourists with goods and services, such
as accommodation (home stays), food, transport, or guides
 Strategies to develop community-based organizations or local cooperatives allowing the
benefits of tourism to be ploughed back into local development, such as through the
establishment of community funds, or through the joint management of communal resources;
 Strategies building local skills and capabilities, including training in language skills to those
involved in the management of a small business, support for local participation in planning and
development, confidence-building, technical assistance and partnering, and the strengthening
of local community organizations, through the establishment of local associations, community
funds and shared resources;
 Strategies to conserve the cultural and natural heritage, revivifying traditional crafts and
cultural events, raising awareness of conservation issues and helping local communities see the
natural environment, including endangered animal and plant species, as assets, along with the
cultural heritage;
 Strategies to effect change at policy level and the claiming of rights, including through
enhanced community organization at the village and local level helping to give communities a
voice in decisions affecting their lives.
Migration is a way to escape from chronic poverty, violence, gender based discrimination, or the
impact of climate change these are the main triggers that allow teenagers or adults leave their
hearth and move to bigger cities or regions where they will have the chance to increase their
opportunities and rely on themselves. Young migrants are generally resourceful, resilient,
adaptable to new environments, and able to learn and speak new languages. Many have skills and
qualifications and are familiar with new technologies. Migration process has positive and negative
sides. Young people’s choices and the way they decide to pursue them have a significant impact
not only on their own lives and opportunities for human development, but also on the lives of their
societies and communities, both in the medium and long term. The youth years pose both
challenges and opportunities. They represent a period during which the efficiency of interventions
throughout childhood and adolescence can be tested, assessed and, as a result, further improved or
reconsidered. A positive migration experience can set young migrants on a successful path toward
capitalizing on their accomplishments and developing economic and social assets for their future.
However, if the circumstances are negative, migration can have particularly dire and traumatic
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consequences for young peoples’ short and long-term future. Not only they lose a valuable
opportunity for full human development, but their countries of birth and destination stand to lose
an enormous potential contribution to social, economic and cultural development. For most young
people migration represents an important step toward achieving a sustainable life for themselves
and their families.
In countries of destination, equality of treatment and opportunity allows migrants, including young
migrants, to contribute as productive members of their communities: as workers, students,
entrepreneurs, artists and consumers. If migration becomes a productive and empowering
experience and opens up new opportunities, young migrant women and men can gain more skills
through education and/or work experience and earn higher wages, allowing them to support their
families and contribute to the development of their communities of origin, as well as the societies
in which they live and work. For young women, migration can also be a socially empowering
experience: as the recipient of remittances or as breadwinners or students in a new country, young
women may gain decision-making power and experience greater personal autonomy.
References:
1. http://www.oecd.org/dev/poverty/migrationatthedevelopmentcentre.htm
2. http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0022/002277/227720e.pdf
3. http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/leading-the-international-agenda/education-forsustainable-development/
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Chapter 4. Vocational Tourist Education for Youth Involvement in Sustainable
Rural Tourism to Reduce Poverty and Prevent Emigration in the Black Sea
Region
Contents
Introduction
Background
The Other Europe
Program Basics – The Multiplier Effect
Aims and Objectives
Approaches and Methodology
The Governance Structure
A Program. Not a Project
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Executive Summary
One billion people travelled in 2012. The market expanded despite weak economies. In fact, for
the past 60 years, tourism has experienced continued expansion and diversification, becoming one
of the largest and fastest-growing economic sectors in the world (source: UN World Tourism
Organization).
Emerging economies now account for over 47% of the market share and will exceed 50% during
the next decade. (Source: UNWTO Tourism Highlights 2012)
The Other Europe is how the World Travel & Tourism Council designates many of the countries
surrounding the Black Sea.
The future economic impact of tourism on the Black Sea region will exceed $450 billion by 2022
and will represent over 7% of the overall economy (Source: WTTC Travel & Tourism
Economic Impact 2012).
The development communities through donors – the EU, USAID and the World Bank – have
identified sustainable tourism as a major tool for economic development, particularly in rural,
underserved areas. But these are projects and focus on distinct locations and short time frames. Do
these projects change anything significant in the long-term? Do they succeed in creating new
sustainable business opportunities for the local population? Do they include the private sector
commercial travel industry as partners? We don’t think so – not for the long-term.
The Black Sea Sustainable Rural Tourism Program is taking advantage of the extraordinary
growth in the eco-tourism sector to both support rural sustainable development and attract private
sector investment by targeting an entire region in an integrated manner partnering with commercial
travel providers.
Our program intends to tap the huge eco-tourism potential of the region to benefit the people living
there, businesses serving them and create new economic and travel opportunities through
sustainable tourism.
Introduction
In 2012 traveler number 1 billion visited a destination somewhere in the world.
Over the past six decades, tourism has experienced continued expansion and diversification,
becoming one of the largest and fastest-growing economic sectors in the world (Source: UN World
Tourism Organization).
Many new destinations have emerged, challenging the traditional ones of Europe and North
America. Emerging economies now account for over 47% of the market share and will exceed
50% during the next decade (Source: UNWTO Tourism Highlights 2012).
In an effort to promote sustainable tourism to lesser known or visited locations and to improve
economic opportunity for rural and small towns, many donors – the EU, the United States and the
World Bank – have focused on distinct locations within short term projects. At issue is whether
this approach actually succeeds in creating new sustainable business opportunities for the local
population and attract investment.
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The Black Sea Sustainable Rural Tourism Program is taking advantage of the extraordinary
growth in the eco-tourism sector to both support rural sustainable development and attract private
sector investment by targeting an entire region.
The program is not intended to simply expand a sector, but to open up new opportunities for the
people living in the towns and villages off the beaten path. It is about how the sustainable or green
tourism sector can uniquely contribute to economic development in rural areas and how business
can profit from the growth.
Background
Tourism into a key driver of socio-economic progress through export revenues, the creation of jobs
and enterprises, and infrastructure development.
World-wide, overall export income generated by inbound tourism, including passenger transport,
exceeded US$ 1.2 trillion in 2011, or US$ 3.4 billion a day on average. Globally, as an export
category, tourism only ranks below fuels, chemicals and food. For many developing countries it is
one of the main sources of foreign exchange income and the number one export category.
The Other Europe
The Other Europe is how the World Travel & Tourism Council designates many of the countries
surrounding the Black Sea.
The future economic impact of tourism on the region to the GDP by 2022 will exceed $450 billion
and will represent over 7% of the overall economy (Source: WTTC Travel & Tourism Economic
Impact 2012).
Our program intends to tap the huge eco-tourism potential of the region to benefit the people living
there, businesses serving them and create new economic and travel opportunities through
sustainable tourism.
Georgia, Turkey, Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova and Russia are all served by major
international carriers, including Turkish Airlines, Aerosvit, Aeroflot and most European airlines.
Tourists are looking further afield and for different experiences which include the culture, art, food
and scenery of rarely visited locales like the rural areas of the Other Europe.
Program Basics – The Multiplier Effect
This program focuses on the Black Sea basin because it represents a vast web of interconnected
multicultural experiences, ecological diversity and history spanning thousands of years. What
makes the Black Sea cultures distinctive and attractive to travelers is the way their component
parts came together over the millennia to shape unique communities, languages, religions and
trade. It is the perfect environment for all forms of sustainable tourism.
A regional program is important to the concept of sustainability as has been recognized by
initiatives like the Blue Flag program for the Mediterranean or The Silk Road Project.
The Black Sea program aims to establish a unified system – the creation of a regional net-work of
community sustainable tourism products under a permanent visual banner.
The Black Sea Sustainable Tourism Program takes this regionalism concept a step further.
It does not concentrate on one goal, such as clean water or music and the arts. It links all forms of
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sustainable tourism to local economic growth in a trans-national, integrated environment.
Uniquely, the Black Sea program aims to establish a unified system – the creation of a regional
net-work of community sustainable tourism products under a permanent visual banner.
Participating communities will be selected based on a rigorous eligibility process and will be
required to work together across borders.
The travel and tourism sector will benefit from increased awareness and travel opportunities for
customers looking for new experiences.
Aims and Objectives
The broad aim of the program is to stimulate economic development of community based
sustainable tourism models under a single banner to foster, local economic growth, enhance the
tourism experience and take advantage of eco travel and tourism growth.
Investment and sponsorships in communities and the region will be promoted particularly to
businesses that emphasize renewable energy and environmentally sensitive products and services.
The transport sector will be engaged to increase access to the participating communities in a
sustainable, eco-friendly manner.
Communities will benefit directly from new tourism and the multiplier effect on service and
product providers to the sector, whether from construction, transport, agriculture and new revenue
for local government.
Approaches and Methodology
A strong, simple governance structure is a key foundational step to provide overall direction and
guidance to the program participants. A formal Secretariat is the primary management entity but
which will not be involved in day to day matters. The next level of management is a national
Program Implementation Organization; each PIO will handle day to day matters working directly
with the final level of management – the Community Management Committee composed of
providers and community business and local government representatives.
The program will provide through volunteers, universities and written materials, training in
business planning and strategic development strategy.
A Black Sea Community designation will be awarded based on strict criteria based on UNWTO,
environmental and Millennium Development compliance and a community developed business
and environmental development plan. A specially formed Black Sea Tourism Information
company will be formed to direct interested travelers to the communities and promote sponsor and
contributor products.
The Governance Structure
The Secretariat is comprised of senior representatives from each country, including universities,
private sector representatives, Vesselka Consulting Ltd., and NGOs.
Each National Program Implementation Office responsible for day to day matters and coordination
will have representatives from eco-tourism organizations in addition to support staff and grant
managers.
Communities must establish inclusive management committees – meaning they must have a
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representative from at least the private sector, local government and eco-tourism providers and
community representatives.
The straightforward structure is ideally suited to a large scale regional effort such as this. It
presents the opportunity to tie community efforts in Ukraine with those efforts in Turkey, Georgia
and others. Management and guidance by the Secretariat will not burden the national offices with a
bureaucratic structure – their responsibility is to assure the success of communities in their
network through advisory support, direct consulting assistance and small grants.
The Community Management Committees are the key. Communities are the designers and
implementers of the program in their locale. This type of development organization is a proven
method. One only needs to look to South East Asia where the Andaman Coast Travel organization
has implemented an impressively successful structure increasing arrivals, benefiting communities
and preserving the culture and environment.
Overall rural community infrastructure and quality of life will be improved through management
training and revenue enhancement. Plus, benefiting both the community and the travel industry in
general –
• Employment will increase and new support businesses will be formed.
• Average wages and supplemental incomes will rise.
• Economic activity measured by increase in numbers of domestic and foreign visitors will
increase.
• There will be improved policy frameworks for local economic development and tourism;
• Opportunities will arise for micro-lending and inward investment;
• Sponsors, such as airlines and other transport providers can leverage their sponsorship and
contributions to increase revenues from travelers; and,
• Usage of environmentally friendly and renewable energy resources will offer opportunities to
eco-friendly industries.
A Program. Not a Project
The Black Sea Sustainable Rural Tourism Program is not a fixed time project. It is a permanent
structure that will establish a trusted brand for travelers and providers to the region.
Participating and branded communities will benefit at every level – economically, socially and
environmentally.
Participating businesses will benefit economically and from a marketing standpoint as they will be
identified as the suppliers and supporters of a program that does not just expand an industry, but
opens up new opportunities for all participants.
The program has begun in Ukraine in 2012 and rolled out to Turkey and Georgia during 2013. In
2014, the remaining countries will be included.
The interest in this type of permanent, branded program has been high and enthusiastic.
All economic and financial indicators show that travelers are looking for new; eco-friendly
destinations and that rural community, cooperating on an organized regional basis can benefit
themselves and open new markets.
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Chapter 5. Tourism as a Key Factor for Sustainable Development
of the Black Sea Region
Contents
1. Economically Sustainable Management
2. Economic Indicators
3. Share of Tourism in GDP
4. PESTLE Analysis
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Economically Sustainable Management
Tourism is a potential contributor to socio-economic development in destination areas. Generally
recognized best practices for regional economic development identify the business clusters in the
city/region for which there are the preconditions for becoming strong, particularly those business
clusters that are effective job and wealth producers, assisting existing businesses, strengthening
businesses that produce products and services for export out of the region to a national and global
market, in balance with city/region and neighborhood serving businesses, attracting businesses,
particularly those in the identified clusters, to move to the region, encouraging real estate
development that locates housing which is affordable near where the location of these businesses,
promoting the revitalization of low- and moderate-income neighborhoods and communities,
fostering robust economic, social, and environmental infrastructures in the city/region that provide
the financial, workforce development, educational, and resource systems which businesses need,
branding and marketing the region, highlighting its business clusters, economic, social, cultural,
physical and natural advantages to attract businesses. A Sustainable Economic Development
strategy uses all of these best practices in a modified fashion to encourage:
• Businesses that are specialized in environmental products and services, to start-up locate and
grow in the region.
• All businesses in the region to become greener and, at the same time, more economically
productive.
• Sustainable real estate development to take place - development that is with mixed usage and
income, resource efficient and transit oriented.
• The regional financial workforce and educational infrastructure to understand sustainable
enterprises, in order to invest the sustainable economy and prepare people to participate
effectively as workers, consumers and investors.
• The regional physical infrastructure to provide energy, water, materials, buildings and mobility
in a way that is both ecologically and economically efficient.
• The region to be recognized as a place that is in the forefront of the sustainable revolution,
becoming an economically, socially and environmentally better place to live, work and locate
businesses.
Separately, each of these best practices can make a significant contribution to the emergence of
sustainable economic development in a region, but taken together they can show the way for
building a sustainable economy that provides strategic and economic advantage in the global
economy.
According to the Tourism 2020 Vision (the World Tourism Organization's long-term forecast and
assessment of the development of tourism up to the first 20 years of the new millennium), tourism
is one of the driving sectors of the economy in the near future.
The essential outcomes of the Tourism 2020 Vision are quantitative forecasts covering a 25 years
period, with 1995 as the base year and forecasts for 2010 and 2020.
Although the evolution of tourism in the last few years has been irregular, UNWTO maintains its
long-term forecast for the moment and underlying the structural trends of the forecast don’t
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believed that tourism will undergo significant changes. Experience shows that in the short term,
the periods of faster growth (1996, 2000) alternate with the periods of slow growth (2001 to 2003).
While the pace of growth until 2000 actually exceeded the Tourism 2020 Vision forecast, it is
generally expected that the current slowdown will be compensated in the medium to the long term.
UNWTO's Tourism 2020 Vision forecasts that international arrivals are expected to reach nearly
1.6 billion by 2020. Among these worldwide arrivals in 2020 1.2 billion will be intraregional and
378 million will be long-haul journeys.
The total tourist arrivals show that by 2020 the top tourists receiving regions will be Europe (717
million tourists), East Asia and the Pacific (397 million) and the USA (282 million), followed by
Africa, the Middle East and South Asia.
East Asia and the Pacific, the Middle East and Africa are forecasted to record growth at rates of
over 5% per year, compared to the world average of 4.1%. The more mature regions Europe and
the USA are anticipated to show lower than average growth rates. Europe will maintain the highest
share of world arrivals, although there will be a decline from 60 per cent in 1995 to 46 per cent in
2020. Tourism, as a world-wide phenomenon, touches the highest and deepest aspirations of all
people, and it is also an important element of socio-economic and political development in many
countries. Governments, other public authorities, public and private decision-makers whose
activities are related to tourism and tourists themselves, consider it a priority to protect and
reinforce the human dignity of both local community and tourists. Because of this all these agents
have registered a growing concern insustainability as a guiding principle to allow the integration of
economic development with environmental and social aspects within tourism policy and strategy.
But the incorporation of sustainability in tourism development is not a self-evident issue but a
politically contested one, if the different interpretations of the concept which have been identified
are taken into account. These differing, sometimes conflicting, interpretations are not accidental,
but rather the outcome of particular ideologies, varied disciplinary backgrounds, value systems and
vested interests. Despite the wide range of varying definitions at its core, tourism sustainability
lies: on strong emphasis of following concerns:
• The need to avoid the uncontrolled destructive degradation of the environment and the loss of
local identity, while respecting the fragile balance that characterises many tourist destinations, in
particular environmentally sensitive areas;
• The need to actively pursue and strengthen the quality of life and equity between present
generations;
• The exigency not to reduce the opportunities offered to future generations. If the core elements
of tourism sustainability - ecology, economy, and equity - are to be taken into consideration for
balanced strategies, there are many gaps in our knowledge that need to be filled if we want to be
successful in controlling tourism in a way that puts this important economic sector onto a
sustainable development path.
An innovative environmental management is a significant part of a quality strategy. With our
excursions and destinations we aim to maximize the benefits for the people in the places, which we
visit, and minimize negative impacts of our visits. Generally, we use a local cultural guide or local
people from each destination if possible to perform our tour operation.
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Share of Tourism in GDP
Periodicity: Quarter
Year: 2012, 2011
Quarter: IQ, IIQ, IIIQ, IVQ
2011
Share of Tourism in GDP
(Million GEL)
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2012
Total
IQ
II Q
III Q
IV Q
Total
IQ
II Q
III Q
IV Q
Total
Accommodation
20.04
26.35
32.82
21.63
100.85
25.63
32.96
45.94
27.81
132.35
233.20
Food objects
93.62
99.23
103.48
94.30
390.62
85.85
114.93
77.99
99.46
378.23
768.85
Transport
106.19 145.96 136.10 117.33
505.58
84.47
152.76 107.75
97.70
442.69
948.28
Travel companies
73.27
316.50
90.80
107.58 113.36 104.00
415.74
732.25
Total tourism value added
293.12 347.17 361.42 311.86 1313.56 286.76 408.24 345.04 328.97 1369.02 2682.57
Total real GDP
4401.70 5144.81 5361.03 5952.97 20860.51 4844.97 5661.30 5840.54 6158.48 22505.29 43365.80
Share of tourism in GDP
6.66 % 6.75 % 6.74 % 5.24 % 6.30 % 5.92 % 7.21 % 5.91 % 5.34 % 6.08 %
75.63
89.01
78.59
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6.19 %
2015
The PESTLE analysis for tourism as economically sustainable development covers
Political concerns:
Economic Indicators
Economic Indicators encompass statistics on the number of people employed in the tourism sector,
on tourism services import/export, the share of tourism in GDP, foreign direct investments in
hotels and restaurants, and the passenger capacity of Georgian railways and airports. The statistics
of economic indicators are available in various breakdowns:
 Employment: data of the number of people employed in hotels and restaurants, transportation
and other tourism related services;
 Tourism services import/export: quarterly and annual data of revenues from international
tourism and expenditures of Georgian residents abroad;
 Share of tourism in GDP: statistics available quarterly and annually;
 Foreign direct investments: quarterly and annual data of foreign direct investments in hotels
and restaurants;
Capacity: passenger capacity of Georgian Railways and airports of Tbilisi, Batumi, Kutaisi and
Mestia.
Current Situation: State policy growing interest towards sustainable tourism and economic
development on a country level, a liberal law, a stable condition, beneficial environment for
tourism industry development.
Measures: Further activities in tourism development policy to increase awareness of the country
in the international tourism market, to stimulate incoming and domestic tourism development, to
increase the competitiveness, to promote the image and popularization of the country.
Economic Concerns:
Current situation: Stable situation and economic growth in the country after the war calamity and
subsequent crisis, inflation and exchange rate stability. The multitude of projects, investment
growth and the creation of employment opportunities in the tourism sector resolved a country
level.
Measures: Much support to country’s economic development through the following activities:
infrastructure development, fund-raising, investment opportunities, raise the competitiveness of
country’s sustainable tourism products on global tourism market, support to growth and
preparation of training for trainers, professional workshops and raising the level of education,
awareness of local residents.
Social Concerns:
Current Situation: Low conditions of tourism infrastructure, informational vacuum, population
(local residents, especially young people) migration to big cities or capital, high level of
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unemployment in districts, a lack or a low level of tourism service, no sustainability plans on a
regional level in different fields of tourism.
Measures: The state's effort to allocate additional funds for Social Infrastructure Development in
the region, elimination procedures against migration, employment opportunities and opening the
new possibilities for residents. Working out short, mid and long term strategies for sustainable
development.
Technological Concerns:
Current Situation: On Regional/local level, there is fixed a low access to modern technologies, a
lack of communication, no internet access which will exert the impact on production efficiency
and its sustainability.
Measures: Opening possibilities for new technologies, orientation on market, and offering and
realization of sustainable tourism products according to market demand.
Legal Concerns:
Current Situation: Despite the existence of self-regulatory legislation in the country, there is not
given separate regulatory framework in the law for development of the region
Measures: To establish a clear division of responsibilities among state departments, to provide a
legal framework for tourism sustainable and economic development on country and regional level.
Environmental Concerns:
Current Situation: No availability of technology to reduce pollution in ecotourism, no sufficient
management of protected areas in regions, no conventions about Biological Diversity and the lack
of regulations and etc.
Measures: Improvement of quality of eco tourism service, forming regional and local forest policy
and forestry management, evaluation of local natural resources and plans for sustainability and etc.
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Chapter 6. Sustainable Management of Tourism Business: Hotels, Restaurants,
Travel Agents and Cruise
Contents
1. Ecologically Sustainable Management
2. Sustainable management of hotels, sanatoriums and beaches
3. Sustainable management of restaurants and wine testing
4. Sustainable management of transport infrastructure
5. Sustainable management of touring and excursion
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Ecologically Sustainable Management
Tourism is one of the world’s fastest growing industries and important source of foreign income
and employing for many developing countries. Since the mid 90’s we have heard of the term
sustainable tourism and thought of it vaguely as something good for the planet and for the future of
tourism but most of us do not really know what it its value.
Sustainable is explainable. According to the World Tourism Organization (WTO), sustainable
tourism is “satisfying current tourist and host community needs, while protecting and improving
future opportunities.” Put simply, sustainability is the capacity to endure. In ecology the word
describes how biological systems remain diverse and productive over time with due consideration
for carrying capacity. For humanity, it is the continuing maintenance of its well-being, as it
depends on the natural resources’ benefits and its responsible use.
According to UNEP, Sustainable Tourism describes policies, practices and programs that take into
account not only the expectations of tourists regarding responsible natural resource
management (demand), but also the needs of communities that support or are affected by tourism
projects and the environment (supply). Sustainable tourism thus aspires to be more energy
efficient and more “climate sound” (e.g. by using renewable energy); consume less
water; minimize waste; conserve biodiversity, cultural heritage and traditional values; support
intercultural understanding and tolerance; and generate local income and integrate local
communities with a view to improving livelihoods and reducing poverty. Local cultures, values
and traditions are affected adversely from the profusion of massive expansion without any regard
for eco balance. One major loss is authenticity, a major pillar in the principle of sustainable
tourism, which should maintain the geographical character of a place, its environment,
heritage, aesthetics, culture and well-being of its residents.
Sustainable is attainable, sustainable tourism development requires the informed participation of
all relevant stakeholders, as well as political leadership to ensure wide participation and consensus
building, according to WTO guidelines. To achieve sustainable tourism all sectors have to follow
continuous process which requires constant monitoring of impact and implement the necessary
preventive and or corrective measures at all times.
Sustainable tourism is
• Making optimal use of environmental resources that form a key element in tourism
development, maintaining essential ecological processes and helping to conserve natural heritage
and biodiversity
• Respecting the sociocultural authenticity of host communities, conserving their built and
living cultural heritage and traditional values, and contributing to inter-cultural understanding
and tolerance.
• Ensuring viable, long-term economic operations, providing equal socio-economic benefits to all
stakeholders, including stable employment, income-earning opportunities and social services to
host communities and contributing to poverty alleviation.
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Sustainable management of hotels, sanatoriums and beaches
Sustainable tourism should not only satisfy the traveler’s needs of pleasure and relaxation but also
ensure a meaningful experience that raises their awareness about preserving and conserving nature
and culture while contribution to the local community as a lasting legacy.
Working together and common sense approach is the key to success for all type of hotels: smaller
and mid-size hotels need to unite join efforts with larger hotels; in order to confront the continuous
strong competition in our industry worldwide in the beginning of the 21st century. Sustainable
development starts with the idea that the most sustainable aim for all is a better quality of life for
everyone, not only now, but for generations to come.
Accommodation Units
Number of
Units
Total
ICCT
147
28
106
163
1 123
227 1 135
308
981
2 439
16 786
539 2 787
711
2 140 6 224
39 108
252
55
111
146
11
18
Number of
3 310
Rooms
4 341
1 096
1 677
1 203
69
Number of
6 914
Beds
10 380
2 818
3 750
2 677
168
86
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Region
Accommodation
Type
Hotel
Family House
Guest House
Sanatorium
Tbilisi
Ajara
Guria
Imereti
Kakheti
Shida
Kartli
Kvemo
Kartli
MtskhetaMtianeti
Rachalechkhumi
Kvemo Svaneti
Samegrelo
SamtskheZemo Svaneti Javakheti
Number of Units
91
106
36
47
30
3
6
33
7
25
59
443
Number of Rooms
2906
2811
885
1066
603
31
175
833
185
536
1431
11 462
Number of Beds
5725
6243
2288
2293
1280
73
389
1894
366
1138
3539
25 228
Number of Units
30
8
15
45
96
7
12
49
20
77
88
447
Number of Rooms
247
60
133
260
459
36
52
269
121
387
683
2 707
Number of Beds
527
147
328
543
1082
87
150
736
341
857
1910
6 708
Number of Units
5
136
3
5
20
1
0
2
1
3
9
185
Number of Rooms
39
1458
42
68
141
2
0
17
2
56
70
1 895
Number of Beds
103
3922
102
147
315
8
0
87
4
125
195
5 008
Number of Units
0
0
1
4
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
7
Number of Rooms
0
0
36
245
0
0
0
0
0
0
93
374
Number of Beds
0
0
100
646
0
0
0
0
0
0
250
996
Number of Units
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
120
120
Number of Beds
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
220
220
Number of Units
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
0
0
0
2
Number of Rooms
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
16
0
0
0
16
Number of Beds
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
70
0
0
0
70
Number of Units
21
1
0
10
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
33
Number of Rooms
118
5
0
38
0
0
0
0
0
2
0
163
Number of Beds
559
40
0
121
0
0
0
0
0
20
0
740
Number of Units
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
4
5
Number of Rooms
0
7
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
42
49
Number of Beds
0
28
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
110
138
Accommodation
Boarding House Number of Rooms
Sports School
Hostel
Cottage
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2015
Total
Sustainable management of restaurants and wine testing
Food and Beverage Outlets
Region
Food
and
Racha
Samegrelo, Samtskhe
Beverage
Total
Lechkhumi,
Shida Kvemo Mtskheta Tbilisi
Kakheti
Guria
Imereti
Zemo
Ajara
Outlets
Kvemo
Kartli Kartli Mtianeti
Svaneti
Javakheti
Svaneti
Restaurant
205
46
20
2
57
30
38
17
7
44
55
521
Café
23
22
27
11
17
45
19
15
7
8
82
276
Bar
10
1
1
1
8
4
0
3
2
4
10
44
Club
6
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
8
16
1
0
0
10
0
1
7
0
7
8
50
260
70
48
14
92
79
58
42
16
63
157
899
Fast Food
Total
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Sustainable management of transport infrastructure
Against the background of globalization and due to the geopolitical location of Georgia, the
development of country’s economy is primarily related to the proper and effective functioning of
transport sectors. As of today, Georgia’s geopolitical location plays important role in country’s
economic and political life. It is located on the crossroad of Europe and Asia, where transportation
of strategic cargoes is conducted. Therefore, one of the top priorities for the Government of
Georgia is coordinated functioning of transport fields, modernization-construction of transport
infrastructure in accordance with international standards and harmonization of country’s
legislation with international law. Taking into consideration all the above mentioned, the
Government of Georgia is being implementing important infrastructure projects, which shall
facilitate new cargo volumes through Georgia and increase effectiveness of functioning of
transport systems.
Georgian Main Transport Systems are:
International Airports
• Tbilisi Imternational Airport
• Batumi International Airport
• King David the Builder Kutaisi International Airport
•
Local Airport
Tamar Mepe Airport, Mestia
•
•
•
•
•
Main Sea Ports/Terminals
Batumi Sea Port
Batumi International Conteiner Terminal
Poti Sea Port
Black Sea Terminal
Supsa Terminal
•
•
RailwayTransport
Georgian Railway
Marabda-Kartsakhi Railway
•
•
•
•
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Main Priorities
Integration of Georgia into the international transport systems and development of transit
potential;
Harmonization of Georgia’s legislation with European standards;
Development of the cooperation with international organizations and realization of
International Agreements;
Improvement of safety policy;
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2015
•
•
•
Creation of legal basis for the development of multi-modal transportation;
Increasing competitiveness of Georgian maritime sector;
Improvement of seafarer’s education and certification system and flag state performance.
Plans
• Implementation of the obligations under “Common Aviation Area Agreement between the
European Union and its Member States and Georgia”. Harmonization of Georgia legislation
with EU legislation and supporting Civil Aviation Agency in this process;
• Attracting low cost air companies in Georgian aviation market and enhancing competitive
environment in aviation market;
• Re-recognition of Georgian seafarers’ certificates by EU, that will facilitate employment of
Georgian seafarers on ships, flying the of EU countries;
• Removing of Georgia flag from the “black list” of the Organization of Paris Memorandum of
Understanding on Port State Control;
• Implementation of the European Agreement Concerning the Work of Crews of Vehicles
Engaged in International Road Transport (AETR) signed on 1 July in Geneva, 1970 (the
convention entered into force for Georgia from 19 November 2011). The accession to the said
convention ensures instillation a concurrency of working conditions and minimal road traffic
safety standards in road transport sector;
• Starting internal state procedures for accessing to the European Agreement Concerning the
International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road (ADR);
• For the development of multi-modal transportation concluding Agreements with state parties to
the Container Block Train project (SILK WIND) – Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Turkey.
Fig. 1. Total Passenger Transportation
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Fig. 2. Total Cargo Transportation
Fig. 3. Cargo Transportation by Modes
Fig. 4. Passenger Transportation by Modes
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Transport statistics describe the dynamics of inbound and outbound means of transportation
within the territory of Georgia, registered at 19 border checkpoints. The list of border
checkpoints is provided below:
• Air: Tbilisi International Airport, Batumi International Airport
• Sea: Poti port, Batumi port, Kulevi port
• Land: Tbilisi, Akhkerpi, Guguti, Vale, Vakhtangisi, Ninotsminda, Sadakhlo (air and
railway border checkpoints), Sarpi, Kazbegi, Tsodna, Tsiteli Khidi, Gardabani,
Samtatskaro, Kulevi.
Information on the following means of transportation is provided:
• Air: Air transport
• Land: Bus, car, truck
2013 Year
• Incoming transport: 67 339
• The same period last year: 64 027
• Increase over the same period last year: 5.2%
The most commonly used means of transport: Car (50 191)
Transport Type - Quantity
2012 - Incoming
2013 - Incoming
Percent Change
Car
46 309
50 191
8.38%
Truck
11 966
12 082
0.97%
Bus
5 015
5 066
1.02%
Air Transport
737
Total
64 027
%
67 339
5.17%
Fig. 5. Incoming Transport by Years
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Fig. 6. 2013 Year: Destination of Transport Means (%)
Fig. 7. Transport Statistics
Sustainable management of touring and excursion
Without proper management of environment there is no scope of tourism. The management,
transport, accommodation, excursions and destination should be sustainable. Without
environmental quality there can be no holiday quality and no customer satisfaction. Innovative
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environmental management is therefore a significant part of a quality strategy. With our
excursions, we aim to maximize the benefits for the people in the places we visit and minimize
any negative impacts. Generally, we use local cultural guide or local people from each
destination as possible to perform our tour operation. Besides we encourage our customers to
buy local products available as souvenir wherever they go if they want. We believe that these
kind economic activities empower living of the local people. As well as prefer to use local
restaurants for lunch and dinner also get involve and celebrate local events.
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Chapter 7. Traditional Georgian Products, Production, Promotion
and Tasting
CONTENT
1. Introduction. Welcome to Georgia
2. Traditional Products & Production
a. Ceramics
b. Stone Carving and Glyptic
c. Woodwork
d. Metalwork
e. Enamel
f. Textile
g. Embroidery
h. Printed Fabric
i. Felting
j. Dyeing
k. Knitting
3. Labor Resources
4.
Regional Distribution
5.
Consumers
6. Sales Channels
7. Food and wine adventures through the heart of the Caucasus
8. Georgian Cuisine
a. Cheeses
9. Georgia - Cradle of Wine
a. Famous Georgian Wines
b. The Supra
c. Tamada
10. Wine-producing regions of Georgia
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1. Introduction
Welcome to Georgia
Everything in Georgia speaks about its greatness and cultural wealth of ancient people.
Numerous monuments - cult structures of the early Christianity, ancient churches and
monasteries hiding in the Caucasian Mountains are silent witnesses to its rich history. The
unique landscapes of this part of the world: high mountains, rapid rivers, green meadows, the
turquoise sea … eloquently "speak" about the rich nature… The generosity of the inhabitants of
Georgia has become in best expressed by the saying “the Georgian hospitality” which implies a
noisy cheerful feast with endless toasts and rivers of magnificent Georgian wines.
Everything in Georgia is unique, original and exotic indeed. It is the country of highly
developed culture which evolved like a colorful mosaic for centuries before it has turned into
the national asset of the country and can be compared only with Georgian native land so
treasured by its people – beautiful, rich, long-suffering but proud and independent.
Georgians are very much fond of their country calling it Sakartvelo literally, "the land of the
Kartvelebi." and consider it the heavenly spot on the earth. To prove this they even created an
amusing legend: “When the God divided the Earth among the people, Georgians were late
because of their traditional feast, and by the moment of their arrival the entire world had
already been divided. When the God asked them to what they had drunk Georgians just
answered: ”To you, oh Lord, to us, to peace”. The God liked their answer. So told them that
although all lands were taken, he reserved a small plot for himself and now he decided to give
it to Georgians. According to the God the land was incomparable in its beauty and all people
would admire and cherish it forever.”
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Georgia is strategically located at a crossroads between Europe and Asia. Through the
centuries, it has been invaded and settled by Greeks, Romans, Persians, Turkish tribes, Arabs,
Mongols, and Russians. Georgia was also on one of the branches of the Silk Road, which
carried trade from China and India to Europe. So the Georgian people have been influenced by
many cultures, both Asian and European. The Georgians' architecture, language, literature, and
cooking draw upon Persian, Arabic, Greek, and Russian sources. Georgians probably
developed a national identity around the tenth century AD. At that time the Bagrationi dynasty
founded an independent and powerful Georgian nation. The Georgians resemble Greeks and
Turks in appearance, and they think of themselves as an Eastern Mediterranean culture.
And it did come true: the beauty of Georgia is impossible to describe but sing about it. So
Georgians prefer singing about the beauty of their land in their original harmonious songs.
The landscapes of Georgia are a unique mixture of all four seasons. The mountain tops are
sparkling with snow, the autumn fog with rain and snow reigns in the foothills, in the river
valleys there are spring flowers and fruit trees, and finally, hot summer - among evergreen
palm trees on the Black Sea shore. It is not surprising that the fertile Georgian land inspired
such great Russian classic writers and poets as Pushkin, Lermontov, Tolstoy and many others.
The beauty of Georgian nature, the purest air, the unique coniferous forests, the beautiful
mountain lakes, the Alpine meadows and healing mineral springs; sacred places – the unique
monuments of early Christian culture, numerous resorts known all over the world – Batumi,
Kobuleti, Ureki, Tskhaltubo, Utsera, Shovi, Borjhomi and many other things attract tourist
from around the globe. All in all there are about 300 mountain, seaside, balneal and healing
mud resorts in Georgia.
Georgia possesses a huge tourist potential. Just think about it – in the 1980s there came up to 45 million people a year! After the country gained its independence this figure was considerably
reduced. It was connected with the political instability in the country. But today the troubles are
over and Georgia is again opened for tourists and travelers from all over the world. The
popularity of this destination is rapidly increasing and the projected number of visitors coming
there will soon reach one million tourists per year.
Technically Georgia is located in Eurasia, but its own people describe it in a very lovely way,
it's the balcony of Europe. A journey into humanity and kindness. A gem between Europe and
Asia.
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The people of Georgia will conquer your heart within seconds and they will treat you like
family!
In the today’s world the creative and cultural industries represent the most important driving
force of the economy. If the twentieth century was a period of industrialization, the modern
world has realized a new and pushed the primary importance of an individual, knowledge,
creative approach for the innovation and the role of SMEs in economic development.
A separate field of the cultural industries is the heritage crafts which along with such sectors as
music, cinema, architecture, fashion, etc. represents the most important resource of
development of various countries and regions and a source of employment and economic
growth worldwide.
The heritage crafts play a particular role in the economy of developing countries. This trend is
particularly enhanced by a small dependence of the heritage crafts and folk handicraft on
technological innovations, hence, the financial capital, as well as its proximity to local
resources and traditional knowledge.
The heritage crafts is a creative process or a process of creation of an imitative product by
which the products are created by hand or partially by mechanical means, which is based on the
motives of both tangible and intangible cultural heritage and folk traditions.
Traditional handicrafts products include the products performed with the traditional techniques
and/or which implies traditional forms, ornamental patterns and in creation of which an
important role is played by the manual labor.
Located at the geographic meeting point between Europe and Asia, Georgia has been
distinguished by the diversity of crafts traditions throughout the centuries. Every single
province in Georgia has its own images, history, culture, traditions, which ensures the
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ethnographic mosaic of the country and its special attractiveness. So too, traditional crafts
techniques, color combinations and ornamental patterns in ceramic, woodcarving, stonework,
metalwork, leatherwork, basket weaving and textiles, which include knitting, carpet weaving,
felting, block printing and other techniques, vary from region to region.
2. Traditional Products & Production
The analysis of the products and the range of products at trade facilities showed that the
heritage crafts in the market today are represented with about 500 types of products that can be
grouped in the following major functional categories:
Accessories, jewelry, pottery, interior accessories, religious items, furniture, dolls/toys, musical
instruments, weapons, clothing, decorative compositions, carpets/rugs, souvenirs and other.
CERAMICS
The traditional Georgian applied art is mainly represented by high art items from ceramics,
metal, wood, and bones. Georgia is famous for its fine jewelry, engraving on metal, armory.
The first samples of ceramic ware appeared in the territory of Georgia in the 7th millennium
BC. Later, in the 4th-3rd millennia BC along with ceramics there emerged first metal items.
The first silver objects found in the territory of Georgia are dated back the 3rd millennium BC.
The quantity of jewelry increased in the next millennium. At that time the jewelry business
reached its blooming. The jewelers mastered the art of filigree, stamping, and molding to
perfection.
But the art's apogee came in the 11th-13th centuries. The period of numerous conquests
affected Georgian applied arts. It was under the influence of European, Persian, and Asian art
but managed to preserve the traditional techniques and deep national content.
The traditions of pottery in Georgia go back to the hoary past. Unusual variety of winemaking
equipment and wine vessels of ancient times attest to the high skill of Georgian craftsmen.
Centers of unglazed ceramics were located in Kakheti (Telavi) and in western Georgia in
Shrosha. In Tbilisi several ceramic factories were producing
tableware. The high level of craftsmanship, artistic value and
richness of decoration were particular for the pottery of this
period.
Centers of unglazed ceramics were located in Kakheti (Telavi)
and in western Georgia in Shrosha. In Tbilisi several ceramic
factories were producing tableware. The high level of
craftsmanship, artistic value and richness of decoration were
particular for the pottery of this period.
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The traditions of 19th century pottery were largely maintained for the beginning of the 20th
century. Establishment of studio of ceramics and glass in Tbilisi State Academy of arts in 1959
enhanced advancement of the professional school of ceramics in Georgia.
Throughout 20th century ceramic production were still maintained in Shrosha, Ikalto and also
Mtskheta and Zugdidi, where the factories of ceramics and porcelain were functioning,
employing number of skillful master ceramist in their premises.
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Stone Carving and Glyptic The stone carving techniques
were widespread in medieval art. Church facades, chancel
screens or free standing stelae were mostly adorned with stone
carved ornaments and figural images.
If the early medieval period was still under the Hellenistic
influence, stone reliefs of so called transitional period (8th-9th
centuries) are marked by the flatness, disproportion and highly
stylized rendering of the subject. However, the 10-1 1th century
stone carving features elaborate delicate forms and proportions,
and variety of ornamental motives. The particular tendency is
continued in 12-13th centuries as well. The stone reliefs of the
following period are distinguished with more primitive folksy
style. The crafts of stone carving has been widely used to
decorate gravestones, which became very popular in 19 century,
when stone carved gravestone portraitures became common in Georgia.
Nowadays stone carving is applied to decorate ecclesiastic architecture and religious objects,
whereas the art of gemstone engraving is used to produce both religious items and jewelry.
Woodwork
Being widely used both in religious and folk architecture and applied arts, woodwork has
been amongst the most
developed traditional crafts in
Georgia.
The
10th-11th
century
woodcarved church doors from
Chukuli
and
Jakhunderi
(Svaneti),
Lashes-Vani,
Mgvimevi (Imereti) amongst
others, which feature figural
images and wide variety of
ornamental patterns, speak to
the refined skills of Georgian
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medieval masters. Alongside church doors mostly made of walnut, wood carved frames and
chancel screens with refined ornaments are preserved from the Middle Ages.
Alongside ecclesiastic objects, woodcarving was widely used in folk architecture and objects of
everyday life such as traditional furniture:
armchairs, bedsteads, chests, cradles, musical instruments (traditional instruments with strings
chonguri and panduri) and tableware. Embellishment with wood carved ornaments was
especially widespread in the highland regions of the country. The variety of woodcarving
ornaments mostly feature geometric patterns, astral symbols, stylized anthropomorphic and
zoomorphic imagery, which are typical for both furniture design and folk architecture.
Woodworking techniques were essential for domestic architecture in every region of the
country, widely applied in darbazi type structures, prevalent in Eastern and Southern part of
the country, the openwork wooden Oda-type houses built on wooden “legs” typical to western
lowland of Georgia, or magnificent interior of machubi in Svaneti. Amongst these, the
decoration of darbazi type structures and namely of its central wooden column (dedabodzi) is
worth of special mentioning. The latter is abundantly decorated with wood-carved geometric
ornamental, astral imagery maintained throughout centuries. The peculiar technique of work in
wood is found in same darbazi type structures in Akhaltskhikhe, where the walls are covered
with inlayed wood panels, speaking to the exquisite mastery of the craftsman.
If the domestic architecture of Svaneti and south-eastern Georgia makes special focus on the
decoration of interiors with wood carved ornaments, the Oda-type houses in western lowlands
emphasised the exterior, and namely the balcony decorated with wide range of openwork
ornamental patters, including foliage motives barely found in the eastern part of the country.
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The classical type of the openwork wooden Oda houses
emerged in the 19 century (2n half). In this period exterior and
particularly adornment of the balcony became the main focus
for master builders. The Old Tbilisian type of house with
openwork balcony clearly demonstrates this tendency. The
particular type of a house became predominant soon after in
other cities of the country. The old traditions of woodworking
reshaped to cope with new tendencies. It seems however, that
the imagery applied in openwork ornamentation often
incorporates ancient motives going back to the hoary past.
Currently woodworking techniques are widely used to decorate religious objects such as
church doors, icons, crosses etc. Meanwhile, the traditions of folk furniture making and
wooden architecture are maintained in several regions of the country. Amongst these are
Svaneti, Racha and Upper Achara, where this tradition is still kept alive in everyday life.
Metalwork.
Georgia developed metallurgical
traditions which go back to the Early Bronze Age,
namely the fourth to third millennium BC, when the
Mtkvari-Araxian Culture (c. 3500 - 2400 BC)
emerged on the territory of the East Caucasus.
Between the sixth
and third century
BC, the western
state of Egrisi, the
legendary `Colchis`
preserved in ancient Greek mythology and literature, and the
eastern state of Kartli, called `Iberia,` flourished. The
development of local goldsmithery was made possible, in part,
by the regions’ rich resources: gold-mines in southern Kartli
and gold-bearing rivers in Egrisi. The first, the Archaeological
Treasury, is a series of cases filled with stunning
millennia-old metal work, such as bright-gold jewellery
from the famed kingdom of Colchis, one of the ancestors
of modern Georgia.
Examples of Colchian gold work from the earliest eighth
to ninth century BC include temple pendants, richly
decorated with granulation and sculpted heads of
predators, which have been found at Ureki on the Black
Sea coast. These fine metal pieces attest to the high level
of skills among craftsmanship.
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Gold granulation attained great variety and technical
excellence in the fifth and early fourth century. Outstanding
examples, discovered in Vani, include exquisitely crafted
gold diadems, with braid-patterned holders; diamond-shaped
plaques, adorned with repousse images of fighting animals:
earrings; arm rings and temple pendants. All suggest the
work of a skilled master. The plethora of such objects offers
clear evidence of the existence of a distinct and original
Colchian goldsmithery style that emphasizes extensive use
of the granulation technique in combination with filigree.
Weapons of Beauty. The culture and technology of weapons was a vital part of any
country's evolution. As well as being dangerously sharp, quite an amount of attention was also
often paid to the design of handheld metal weaponry. As "hot-blooded" Georgia has had a
history of almost constant wars, weapon making is naturally well developed here. Top quality
weapons were simply bare necessities. Ancient Georgian tribes were known as metal making
tribes and their steel weapons could easily cut through enemy offerings.
Iron was widely used in Georgia as far back as the 12th century BC. Starting from that period,
people were constantly perfecting their iron and steel sabres and daggers.
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The further advancement of the metalwork in eastern Georgia is demonstrated by the first
century AD discoveries in Mtskheta, the ancient capital of Georgia. In addition to the
abundance of unearthed golden jewelry, such as gorgeous necklaces, earrings, rings and
bracelets adorned with precious stones and engraved gemstones.
The cloisonné incrustation with multicolored stones found in richly decorated objects
discovered at Mtskheta is considered as a progenitor of cloisonné enamel, which became very
popular in medieval Georgia.
Announcement of Christianity as a state religion in early 4th century marked an important
turning point in the development of Georgian Metalwork. It strongly influenced the pictorial
language of metalwork, moving it away from three-dimensional sculptural methods, such as
volume, modeling and relish for reproducing the naturalistic forms, to a more flattened, stylized
aesthetic.
The ecclesiastical objects, such as, crosses, icons, cups and manuscript covers, enable us to
trace the development of this branch of art from the eighth to ninth century AD through the
early 19th century.
The Icon of Transfiguration from Zarzma (886 AD), which is the earliest surviving monument
of medieval metalwork, clearly demonstrates this new trend in art: the surface of the icon is flat
and relatively simple.
Alongside medieval repoussé work, rich metallurgical traditions were
maintained in everyday life of local people. Racha for instance was
famous as a center of blacksmithing in Georgia.
In the 19th-20th century Tbilisi became the center of metalwork. Silver
crockery made in Old Tbilisian guilds distinguished with the variety of
shapes display the style widespread in the whole Caucasus featuring
floral ornaments and figural images. Contrary to the items made
elsewhere these Old Tbilisian silver bowls often display local Tbilisian
characters.
The rich artistic tradition of medieval repoussé work reinvented itself in the works of Georgian
masters during the Soviet time by changing religious subject matter with secular themes
inspired by national motives.
Enamel was recovered in Georgia in the late twentieth century and
has gained significant popularity among the craft masters in the last
decade. 70% of the masters in the field have the experience less than
10 years and 32% of them have learned the enamel work from other
masters. This fact just has led to the enamel distribution and product
peculiarities.
In terms of geographical distribution we see the strong concentration
of enamel in cities (44 % of the interviewed masters live in Tbilisi, and
91 % of the masters live in urban areas), that is quite reasonable for a
relative “new” sector. In this technology group are separated 3
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techniques: embedded, cloisonne and painted enamel. Out of 46 respondents 43 work in the
cloisonne enamel, 9 - in painted enamel and only 2 masters – in embedded enamel (Note: Some
of masters are working in 2 or 3 techniques).
In the terms of functionality, we see in the products the predominance of jewelry, a relatively
small number of compositions. Total up to 120 items have been found. The
enamel
production is characterized by an abundance of mixed designs - 62.2 % of masters
attribute their works to this category. This fact likely has contributed substantially to the
particular popularity of enamel in Georgia.
Depending on its functional purpose, applied materials (gold, silver, copper, enamel) and the
labor-intensive technology, the value of the enamel products is higher than average rates ( see
Table 7).
Thus, we can say that the average price for enamel production is quite high, about 280 GEL.
In recent years the popularity of the enamel products has been generated due to great demand
for them among local and foreign consumers, as well as due to the inclusion of the enamel art
in the special employment-oriented training courses. However, at the same time, all this has
created a quality problem, which may be neglected by the ignorant consumers. In addition, the
enamel artisans are not skilled in the goldsmith techniques, therefore, they order shapes for
their products, or purchase ready-made shapes, that may lead to the standardization of enamel
products.
Textile is the most common technology group in Georgia. It is the most diverse in terms of
subsections of textile processing, of which the most common is felting, weaving, embroidery,
printed fabric, crochet work and knitting and sewing.
Each of them, in turn, includes a variety of techniques
(e.g. weaving: carpet, rug, tapestry and many others).
The carpets from the Caucasus region are readily
distinguished by their geometrical designs and bold
colors. Rugs from Georgia are either woven in
traditional Georgian patterns or made from compressed
felt in abstract patterns. The colors used most often are
deep red, brown, blue, and yellow.
49.07 % of interviewed artisans work with textiles. As
already mentioned, this technology group is
characterized by the employment of mainly women
(99.06%). In terms of geographical distribution the textiles is one of the most evenly
distributed. However, a particularly high proportion of the textile artisans were revealed in
Tbilisi (43.03 %). Also a significant part of them are in Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti (8.61%),
Mtskheta-tianeti (8.61%) and Kakheti (8.61%). The Kakheti percentage is likely to be higher
because the data of artisans interviewed in Alvani municipality (which is the traditional center
of rugs, cotton and knitting, etc.) have not been used in the statistical analysis.
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Percentage of textiles is also large among the enterprises. Overall, 67% of surveyed enterprises
produce textile, but it is noteworthy that only four of the 20 enterprises are limited liability
companies. Others are non-profit (non-entrepreneurial) legal entities or the monastery
workshops.
The history of carpet weaving in the Caucasus region dates back to the Middle Ages. Pieces of
knotted pile carpet from the 13th and 14th centuries have been found in cave complexes in
Georgia.
The carpets from the Caucasus region are readily distinguished by their geometrical designs
and bold colors. Rugs from Georgia are either woven in traditional Georgian patterns or made
from compressed felt in abstract patterns. The colors used most often are deep red, brown, blue,
and yellow. Over the centuries, traders from Istanbul to Athens traveled to Tbilisi, Georgia, to
trade in hand woven carpets at bazaars known as the Caravanserai.
Embroidery
Out of textile technology subsections, the second place in
terms of the abundance is held by embroidery. We can
say that the embroidery like felting has not experienced
radical changes. The functional groups of products of this
subsection are still clothes, accessories (hats, bracelets,
headpieces, etc. ), ecclesiastic and household things
(tablecloths, napkins). There can be found functional
innovations as well (e.g. cellphone holders), but the real
product diversification is not been observed.
Though 85% of interviewed artisans work according to
the traditional design, it should be noted that the typical
features of each region of Georgia have been actually lost
in the embroidery.
Printed fabric
Today the printed fabric is presented in Georgia with a less traditional batik. Batik became
popular in Georgia in the 90s, along with silk printing. As in many other fields, a relatively
large percentage of respondents (more than 50%) live in Tbilisi. 81% of the product is of mixed
design and only 3.8% artisans believe that they work in the traditional design. Today the cold
and hot batik technologies are spread.
The fabrics printed with the traditional wooden molds are rare. In this regard noteworthy is the
activity of the Tbilisi Academy of Fine Arts, which has initiated the restoration of the
technology of printed fabric and, namely, making of the traditional blue tablecloth and creation
of a workshop that produces printed blue tablecloths with traditional negative technique.
There are also blue tablecloths printed on the computer, which in addition to full mechanization
of the technique are notable for artificial fabric and low quality of prints.
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The printed fabric products are presented with scarves, wall panels, interior accessories, blue
tablecloth. An interesting practice is a connection to the modern fashion industry, in particular
producing fabric for creation of modern clothes. Although such connections are just an
exception but it can be considered as one of the promising trends not only for printed fabric but
for other crafts as well. At the same time, it should be noted that the printed fabric products
insufficiently use the opportunities of its functional diversity.
Felting During the last 5-7 years we have observed the particular popularity of felting, that
may be caused by various factors. On the one hand,
they are vast resources available in the Internet,
simplicity and less labor inputs of felting techniques
compared with other industries and, on the other hand,
the inclusion of felting in the women’s employment
oriented programs in recent years. Consequently,
many “newbies” are working in the felting technique:
42% of respondents have engaged in the heritage crafts
for five or less years.
The products have experienced a significant
diversification: the traditional products such as Svan
hats, cloaks, weaving, woolen rugs today hold only a
small share of production (22% of authors produce
traditional design items), a major part are modern
garments and accessories: scarves, baby shoes, felt
toys, flowers, decorations (necklaces, hair pins, etc.),
which have similar, standard design.
Despite the mass production of felt products, the traditional technologies have still been
preserved nationwide, e.g. Svan hats in Svaneti, cloak felting technology in Samegrelo as well
as felting of cloaks, hats, rugs and horse blankets in Stephantsminda, Pankisi Gorge and Alvani.
The main material is still wool both of a local origin and imported (merinos). However, as
already mentioned for the felt “base” is often used various types of fabric, on which wool is
felted. A significant part in the felt products is held by toys that are also largely similar to each
other, although there are exceptions, which are characterized by a high quality and originality
of toy design.
Dyeing with natural dyes (mulberry) is not separated as a technique in
the survey, as the poll shows that some masters know the technology
of dyeing a raw material with natural dyes but practice it only in order
to create a product just for personal use and not for the realization of
the raw material independently. As a rule the felting, weaving masters
and relatively rarely knitters dye raw material only for own use and
sell the finished products. However, many times during the interviews
it was noted that natural dyeing is a very time- and labor-consuming
work and that in case of acceptable price they would be glad to buy
naturally dyed raw material.
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Knitting 19 % of the artisans working in textile are engaged in the knitting. Most of the
productions are made with knitting needle and about 20 % - with crochet. Out of functional
groups accessories (hats, scarves, stockings, gaiters) are mainly presented in the market.
Among the knitted products dominate the products of mixed design (48%), traditional design 38%, while only 14% are of modern design. The prevalence of mixed design products is likely
the result of the recent demand for modern knitted hats and scarves. Traditional patterns stockings, gaiters are still available in their original form, but in the case of stockings they are
now made with more vivid colors customized to the taste of foreign users. The material used is
mainly wool yarn, though there are also cotton and synthetic yarn. Due to lack of filaments of
domestic origin, the artisans manly use the imported filaments for knitting that further increases
the cost of the final product. Only single masters span thread from wool throughout the
country.
3. Labor Resources
As the existing databases were compiled by different organizations in different time periods
and for different purposes, the consolidated
database covered a wide range of artisans.
The survey covered all regions of Georgia and
44.6% of the primary base. Most of the
interviewed artisans (84 %) are working alone,
without any assistants, and only 16 % use the
paid labor. 76.7% of “individual employers”
employ less than three people, and only 23%
employ more than three.
The enterprises engaged in the sector are
mainly small. In the majority of them (85.7%) the number of employees is only 6-10, and 14.3
% employ 10-15 people. (See Fig. 1).
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Fig. 1. Distribution of crafts enterprises by the number of employees
Thus, based on the above data, we can say that the number of individual artisans of heritage
crafts in Georgia is estimated at around 960, while the number of enterprises – up to 40. The
total number of their employees is about 540, therefore, about total 1,500 people are involved
in the creation of heritage crafts products.
As we can see, despite the rich traditions and great potential of the sector the total number of
employees in the heritage crafts makes up only 0.07 % of the total number of labor resources of
Georgia.
Fig. 2. Percent of self-employed persons in labour force by gender
The analysis of research results has shown that the percentage of women in the heritage craft is
higher than the national average. They make up 62.3 % of the employed in the sector while the
share of women in the entire population is 52.3 %.%. Unlike developing countries, such
imbalance is not caused by a high unemployment rate among women, because according to the
Georgian National Statistical Office data, the unemployment rate is lower in women than in
men.
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The low income of the heritage crafts, of course, reduces the men’s interest in this sphere and
causes prevalence of women, because in Georgia, as a rule, women are involved in the small
activities generating women’s and men’s employment picture is different by technological
groups.
As we can see in Figures 3 and 4, the textile is clearly defined as the “women’s sphere”, while
woodwork and metalwork as the “men’s fields”. In the ceramics and enamel the distribution of
genders is more or less equal.
Fig. 3. Employment for women by technological groups
Fig. 4. Employment of men by technological groups
4. Regional Distribution
One of the problems of development of small and medium businesses in Georgia is their
uneven geographical distribution - 45 % of registered companies are located in Tbilisi. This
trend is also observed in the heritage crafts, but no so strongly. Based on the survey, the
geographic distribution of the sector can be described as follows:
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A large part of individual artisans, about 26 %, lives in Tbilisi, and others are almost equally
distributed to other parts of the country: in Racha -Lechkhumi, Kvemo Svaneti, and Guria, as
well as in Mtskheta-Mtianeti, Adjara and Samtskhe - Javakheti. The main “attraction” areas of
the heritage crafts in Georgia are the mountainous regions that are primarily due to the strength
of the highland traditions. As for enterprises, their number is very small and it is difficult to
generalize them. Just about 26 % of the surveyed enterprises are located in Tbilisi,
Although the heritage crafts as a supplementary source of income and self-employment should
be particularly “attractive” for the rural population, the analysis of interviews of artisans has
shown that only 28% of them do not reside in urban areas, while 46.8 % of the total
populations are village residents. This, among other reasons, is largely due to a lack of
distribution channels that makes it difficult for the rural population to get their products to
market and thus prevents them from engaging in such business.
The regional development of heritage crafts is comparatively equal, although by the share of
heritage crafts artisans in the population noteworthy are Racha-Lechkhumi, Kvemo Svaneti and
Guria, and Mtskheta-Mtianeti, Adjara and Samtskhe-Javakheti. It is clear that the main
“attraction” areas of heritage crafts in Georgia are the mountainous regions.
Due to the underdeveloped infrastructure, the heritage crafts cannot perform its role in the
development of regions and, in particular, of rural areas, whereby it concentrates in urban areas
(72 % of producers).
5. Consumers
To study the consumer’s views local consumers and foreign tourists were questioned . During
the survey 101 local consumers and 150 foreign tourists were interviewed in different regions
of Georgia, at the heritage craft trade facilities and festivals and fairs, where the customers
interested in this field were present.
As expected, the majority of heritage craft consumers are women, their share of local
customers is 73.3 % and in tourists - 62.9 %. By the age groups the most active in both cases
are representatives of 26-35 and 46-55 age groups
According to the general trend a foreign tourist spends more money for the heritage craft items
than a local consumer.
Although the study included only individual consumers, the interview of masters has revealed
that there are also corporate clients in the today’s crafts market. Although only 13.7 % of
masters sell their products to this category of consumers, the corporate consumers cooperate
more with enterprises and trade facilities. Their share increases accordingly - 28.61% for
enterprises and 37.5% - for trade facilities but in all cases, the products sold to corporate
buyers, typically attains to 20%.
The survey also analyzed the demand for different types of products. The survey showed that
the most popular among both the local consumers (32.6%) and foreign tourists (32.4%) is
jewelry. Much behind the jewelry are souvenirs, respectively 19% and 18.9%. The demand for
furniture is very small (in the category a major buyer is corporate clients (mainly catering
facilities where the interview were not conducted), and weapons.
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Fig. 5. Amounts spent of crafts product by locals and foreign tourists
The deficiencies in the supply - demand have been also revealed during the interviews of trade
facilities. 28 % of them said that last year they had the deficit of certain products of the heritage
crafts that in turn, indicates a lack of coordination between producers and in case of some
products – on the low performance.
Table 11. Distribution of producers and customers by functional groups
Production
Artisans
%
Local customers
%
Foreign tourists
%
Accessories
27.95
8.1%
8.6%
Jewelry
Weapons
13.59
1.54
32.6%
2.7%
32.4%
2.7%
Musical instruments
2.69
4.3%
4.3%
Crockery
Toys/dolls
Garment
Religious items
Furniture
Souvenirs
No answer
8.21
4.10
4.10
5.13
2.95
11.54
7.1%
7.6%
10.9%
3.8%
1.6%
19.0%
2.2%
7.0%
7.5%
10.8%
3.8%
1.6%
18.9%
2.2%
6. Sales Channels
Heritage craft products are sold either by a direct way as the master - end-user, as well as
through intermediaries. During the survey the following sales channels were identified:
Direct: (1) by order; (2) a workshop; (3) the open market; (4) festival, holiday; (5) Internet
sales.
Indirect: through intermediaries: - various trade facilities
The study showed that 57.6 % artisans realize more than 60% of their works by any channel. At
the same time 81.3 % of masters use only three or less channels, that indicates that the masters
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fail to diversify the sales channels in the current commercialization system. Moreover, when
asked what ways do they use to sell their artworks, the direct sales channels were named 271
times, and indirect - only 184 . Out of direct channels the leading place is held by orders (69.8
% of artisans) and sales from workshops (40.4% of artisans) (however, we can suggest that
sometimes the artisans mean the sales from workshops as the sales by order). In addition, 21.9
% of artisans sell 80% of their works from the workshops. The fact that 78 % of artisans live
outside the capital, once again points the distribution problems mentioned above.
The separate segment is open fairs (standing), exhibition / sales, festivals and public holidays,
although these channels were named only by 11 % of interviewed masters. Among the open
fairs noteworthy is the so called:
1. “Dry Bridge” (Tbilisi).
Much of the adjacent park was filled with paintings and other artwork that was for sale.
2. the spot in the vicinity of the Academy of Sciences (Tbilisi, Rustaveli Ave.),
Svetitskhoveli surrounding area (Mtskheta), Shrosha fair oriented to ceramics and wickerwork
(Imereti).
Internet sales are particularly low: only 0.8 % of surveyed masters use this channel, while in
the UK this figure is 35.3 %.
Among the indirect channels we have identified only different types of trade facilities. No
wholesale dealers, brokers or other similar links have been named.
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The 5 main groups were identified in trade facilities of shop type:
(1) Souvenir shops - the facilities, which offer to the customers the
products of low and medium cost and quality.
(2) Salon type shops - characterized by a relatively high - quality
products that are designed not only for tourists but also for local
consumers;
(3) Gallery shops - the shops at the art galleries, which offer to their
customers the higher artistic products of mainly mixed and modern
design. To the same category are attributed the Art-Café-Saloons.
(4) Museum shops
(5) Mixed shops (which sell craft products among other products).
(6) Ecclesiastic shops
(7) However, it should be noted that actually the share
of museum shops is significantly lower as during the survey we have
interviewed about 90 % of such facilities and only 70% of other types . The
low % of ecclesiastic shops also requires explanation. Despite the fact that
there are a lot of these types of facilities in Georgia, they are mostly trading
in imported goods, and rarely – in the Georgian heritage craft products.
Beyond any doubt is the highest percentage of souvenir stores among the
trade facilities. Most surveyed masters - 33 % sell their products through this type of shops.
(8) In terms of geographical distribution, the highest concentration of shops is in Tbilisi, which
houses 60% of the surveyed facilities, then comes Batumi, Mtkheta and Gori.
Figure 6. Use of direct channels of sales
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Fig. 7. Use of non-direct channels of sales
7. Food and wine adventures through the heart of the Caucasus
“A traditional Georgian dinner begins with “Borjomi” and ends with the love poem “Suliko”
Welcome to Georgia! Nothing tells you more about the spirit and culture of a country than its
native food and wine. And Georgia’s food and wine is amongst the best in the world.
Georgian food is one of main highlights of your trip. All fresh, all tasty, often spicy. Variety of
vegetables, cheeses and meat, traditional technology of bread baking – you will definitely like
it!
8. Georgian cuisine
Friendship and hospitality are important elements within Georgian culture. Traditionally for
Georgians, any visitor arriving on the doorstep is a “gift from God” and must be received as
such. This usually means that the guest is treated to a Georgian supra (dinner party) to which
neighbors and relations are invited. The host brings out bottles of both “Borjomi” and his or her
finest wine and a toastmaster is elected to lead the
ceremony.
Georgian cuisine is traditional national culinary style in
Georgia. Feature of the Georgian cuisine is the use of
certain products distributed in the Caucasus, and
therefore the presence of certain foods, the popularity of
which has worldwide fame.
Georgian recipes Satsivi, Lobio, Khinkali, Ghomi,
Kharcho, Chakhokhbili, Chanakh, Shkmeruli, Gozinaki, Churchkhela and many others have
long been prepared outside of Georgia.
Georgian cuisine at its compilation of recipes and dishes of ideology is based on the contrast of
spicy and hot. Vegetables widely used in separate dishes and as a complement to meat dishes.
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Continued existence of the Georgian nation at the crossroads of many cultures and influences
led to the fact that, none of the types of meat has no the predominant value in Georgian cuisine.
Georgian meat dishes can be made from pork, lamb, beef, poultry, etc.
Georgian cuisine is probably the most important attraction of the country. Since the traditional
Georgian feast is an integral element of culture, Georgian entertainment should match its high
level. Georgians have managed to make their cuisine not only magically delicious but also
bright, original, exquisite, unique and unforgettable.
Therefore, Georgian cuisine absorbed the best culinary traditions of many people of
Transcaucasia, Asia and the Black Sea coast. The western part of Georgia was affected by
Turkish cuisine, the eastern – by Iranian. Therefore, in the western Georgia widespread are the
corn flour flat cakes from– mchadi, while in the eastern Georgia people prefer white bread
baked in huge clay jugs.
The easterners use corn flour to cook thick mash - gomi - and eat it instead of bread with meat
and vegetable dishes. Eastern Georgians cook mutton, use many animal fats along with the core
Georgian meat – beef, while in the Western Georgia they eat much less meat and favor poultry
– chicken and turkeys.
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The Cheese production culture in Georgia is as old as the winemaking. Georgian cheese
diversity - the wealth we have in front of us. Like many great things, Georgian cheese
"enrichment" begins by
private initiative. Cheeses in
Western Georgia they prefer
rennet cheeses - suluguni
and Imeretian. As for the
eastern Georgia there they
prefer spicy and salty
cheeses – Kobian, Tushin
and Georgian. Both western
and eastern Georgians are
famous for their special
spice sauce from nuts and
spices used with meats.
However,
these
insignificant differences can
not be the reason of
distinguishing between western and eastern cuisines. There is only one "Georgian cuisine"
when it comes to reception of a guest of honor. And of course only the freshest ingredients,
obligatory sauces, seasonings, spices and greens are used for cooking …
9. Georgia - Cradle of Wine
It has been archaeologically proven that the roots of Georgian viticulture are between 8000
and 5000 BC, when peoples of South Caucasus discovered that wild grape juice turned into
wine when it was left buried through the winter in a shallow pit. This knowledge was nourished
by experience, and from 4000 BC Georgians were cultivating grapes and burying clay vessels,
kvevri, in which to store their wine ready for serving at perfect ground temperature. When
filled with the fermented juice of the harvest, the kvevris are topped with a wooden lid and then
covered and sealed with earth. Some may remain entombed for up to 50 years.
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Wine vessels of every shape, size and design account for the bulk of earthenware artifacts
unearthed by Georgian archaeologists. The Georgian craft of pottery is millennia old. Ancient
artifacts attest to the high skill of Georgian craftsmen in whose hands water, clay and fire
turned into an object of an exceptional beauty much admired by people. The most impressive
of all archaeological finds are kvevri, giant clay vessels in which wine was fermented and
stored up. The old ones used to dig them into soil, just as we are doing now. The secrets of
trade passed on from fathers to sons. Modern potters carefully study the ancient craft and
decorative patterns and create their own pottery making extensive use of ancient national
traditions and using the latest scientific and technological achievements to enrich ancient
traditions.
Famous Georgian Wines
There are nearly 500 grapes varieties in Georgia, only 38 varieties are officially grown for
commercial viticulture in Georgia. Traditionally Georgian wines are numbered and named after
the territory from where they are produced, or numbered and named after the grape sort from
which they are made. Wines are divided into the sorted and blended categories. Sorted wines
are made from one kind of grape. Blended wines are made from different sorts of grapes. wines
are Classified as Table wines, Sweet wines, Semi-sweet wines, Dessert wines, Sparkling and
Vintage wines.
Among the famous Georgian white and red dry wines anyone choose wine to one's own taste:
"Mukhuzani" with a pleasant bitter taste, golden cool "Tetra" light straw-coloured "Tsinandali"
with a crystal sourish touch, dark amber-coloured slightly astrigent "Teliani", rubycoloured
"Ojaleshi" and with a mildly sweet, emerald-like sparkling "Manavi", garnet-red honey-tasting
"Kindzmarauli", and "Saperavi",dark ruby-coloured velvety "Khvanchkara", light-green
"Gurjaani" dark golden fruity "Tibaani" and many others. If to Georgian wines you add bestbrand cognacs, champagne, not to mention remarkable mineral waters and fruit drinks, you can
fancy what pleasure Georgian cuisine will to you.
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The Supra
The grand Georgian table is still very much alive and is found on a daily basis in cities as in
villages. Spread out before you, you will find a superb range of meats, cheeses, vegetables
more often than not organically produced, and often at high altitude amid pure mountain air.
Our Matsoni (Georgian yogurt) and the many varieties of cheeses from sheep, cow and goat's
milk are the products of these deep green pastures. As the Tamada or toast-maker raises a glass
to friendship look down the table at the array of aromatic foods covering the surface.
Tamada
The role of tamada, the toastmaster, is an exquisite art form in itself. A tamada must be a
philosopher-poet, a wit and jokester, an orator and social commentator, and even a singer who
effortlessly improvises an engaging atmosphere of camaraderie and convivial pleasure. A
certain pattern and pace must be maintains so that periods of relative quiet and reflection
juxtapose with the general joviality and energy of a feast.
Toasts, however, are not simple declarations; they are expected to be speeches mixed with
mirth, spoken verse and insight. Toasts are usually made with wine, toasting with beer is an
insult to the one toasted. We are very generous with our wine, but since toasts are the only time
you are supposed to drink your wine, we have many toasts (we have always been a practical
people). In fact, we will use just about anything as an excuse to toast, a foreign guest happens
to work quite well. So get used to your family, your country and friendship and your character
being toasted.
Sometimes the Tamada proposes a toast and everyone around the table is expected to expand
on the idea. Each person stands and tries to say something more vital, original and poignant
than the last, and it becomes something of a speaking contest adjudicated only by applause and
laughter.
Wine-producing regions of Georgia
Wine growing and winemaking in Georgia is one of the ancient fields of agriculture. The
Georgian winemaking history numbers several millennia. The Georgian grape breeds and wine
varieties, made from them for many centuries are considered to be one of the best. Up to date
Georgian wine-growers bred over 500 grape varieties. Georgian wines are ones of most popular
in the world, since they are made of top-quality grape variety, and the know-how, passed on
from generation to generation, is kept in secret.
Among the best-known regions of Georgia where wine is produced are Kakheti (further
divided onto micro-regions of Telavi and Kvareli), Kartli, Imereti, Racha-Lechkhumi and
Kvemo Svaneti, and Abkhazia. UNESCO added the ancient traditional Georgian winemaking
method using the Kvevri clay jars to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists.
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Grapes make Georgian wine distinct, but also special technologies are applied. There are three
main technologies of wine production there: European, Kakheti and Imereti.
Georgia produces a great number of wines: they are red and white wines of various Georgian
brands as well as some champagne taps. Georgian wines feature subtle aroma and unique taste
of freshly harvested grape.
Winemaking in Georgia is an entire culture. Wine is made not only for sale. Many Georgian
families make home wine which does not differ in taste from the best trade brands. Home wine
is usually kept in kveri, a huge earthenware shaped as a jug and dug in earth. Wine corkage and
tasting are an important family’s event, accompanied by festivity.
Wine is a main sacred symbol in the Georgian Orthodox Church. Christian architectural
monuments, icons and frescos do often include wine-motifs. As for other Christian traditions,
also in Georgia wine and bread is the symbol of the blood and flesh of Christ. In the Georgian
Orthodox tradition however, this does not apply only for communion and other Christian
ceremonies. For Georgians wine is truly synonymous with the blood of Christ in all situations, and
Georgians with respect for their culture and tradition will always treat the wine with honor and
dedication.
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Chapter 8.The Main Trends of Tourism Sectors in Georgia Foreign and
Local Tourists’ Survey Results
During the researches the following amount of the respondents participated among which 92%
were foreign tourists, and 8%- the Georgian tourists . 82% of foreign tourists visited Georgia for the
first time, while 18% traveled for the second time. The absolute majority of tourists who arrived in
Georgia was looking for the possibilities of recreation, cultural tourism, tourism activities and
mountain walking:
75%
24%
21%
19%
13%
12%
12%
7%
2%
2%
1%
1%
0%
0%
0%
Fig. 1. Trip Motivation
Among the tourists were those whose aim was to have a holiday and those who showed their
interest in sightseeing, attending cultural events andtasting traditional Georgian cuisine and wine.
92%
18%
Sightseeing
Attending cultural
events
12%
0%
Traditional food and Participation in the
wine tasting
public celebrations
Fig. 2. Activity Interests
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About 63% of the survey participants receivedthe tourist information via the internet. Also the
high rate went on recommendations provided by friends and relatives, resulting in a total of 44%.
The role of travel agencies in the development of national tourism should be noted, which
attracted 31% of total travelers:
Tourist information source
63%
Internet
44%
Friends & Relatives
32%
Travel Agencies
26%
Own Experience
14%
Travel Books and Booklets
8%
Media/TV
6%
Tourist Exhibitions
1%
Information Center
Fig. 3. Tourist information source
Tourists consumer behavior
Most of the tourists prefer traveling together with the partners or friends. Respondents’ experience
concerning this issue was as follows:
70%
With Partner, 56%
60%
With Friends, 39%
50%
40%
With Family/
Relatives, 24%
30%
With co-workers, 5%
With Business
partners, 5%
4
6
Alone, 11%
20%
10%
0%
-10%
0
1
2
3
5
7
Fig. 4. Tourists’ trip preference
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Tourists start planning to travel much earlier before they decide to travel. It should be noted
that 43% of tourists arrange their travel schedule 1-3 months before the trip, 32% -1 month
before, while 26% - more than 3 months in advance. Among those who plan to travel more
than 3 months in advance are the families who belong to the consumer segment:
Table 1. The consumer segments
At the last minute
19–25 years
5%
1 month before
20–34 years
10%
1-3 months before
35–75 years
75%
3 months before
30–45 years
10%
The majority of tourists visiting Georgia apply to the low-cost airlines, but for local
transportation they prefer a rented car, which is probably determined by a low development
level of public transportation:
Table 2. Tourists’ transportation preference
International Transportation
•
•
•
•
•
•
Local Transportation
•
•
•
•
•
•
Low-priced airline – 38%
Main Airlines – 34%
Charter Flight – 4%
Commercial Flight – 4%
Private Airline – 1%
Own Car – 9%
Hired Car – 38%
Bus / minibus– 22%
Train – 15%
Excursion Transport – 15%
Own Car – 9%
Bicycle – 1%
The main stream of tourists visiting Georgia for periods was ranging from 3 to 14 days. In particular,
the average duration of the visit periods was distributed as followed:
1% 0%
19%
7 days
8–14 days
38%
15–21 days
22–30 days
1–2 month
42%
More than 2 month
Fig. 5. Visits duration
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Estimates of the tourist experience
During the general assessment the majority of the tourists highly estimated the conditions of the
tourist sites; 86% said that the quality level of service was excellent. Only 2% complained on the
service quality, while 12% refrained from answering. The impressions of the traveling were of high
assessment:
I do not agree
Can not assess
Agree completely
91%
74%
64%
0%
12%
4%
9%
1%
Presence here is very important and Here, I got a lot of experience and
valuable for me
knowledge
13%
Here's the impression I will
remember for a long
Fig. 6 Tourists' assessment of traveling
The tourists' assessment displayed strong and weak features of the typical tourist places. In
particular, the environmental contamination was detected:
Great attention is paid to the nature and
environment
Agree completely
Unique tourism resources
Can not assess
Friendly people are employed in tourism
I do not agree
0%
50%
100%
Fig. 7. Tourists' assessment of typical tourist places.
Ultimately, traveling along Georgia, the majority of respondents positively estimates their trip. 83%
of travelers said they were satisfied with the decision to travel in Georgia . 68% of respondents
believed that the experience of traveling in Georgia had exceeded all their expectations. Only 26%
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had a reason to express dissatisfaction, mainly due to the pollution of the environment or the low
quality of service.
In order to create the travel motivations of tourists, especially for the second visit, it is not enough
just to possess the rich cultural, historical and natural heritage resources. There are additional
factors that affect the degree of tourist’s satisfaction. During the survey the following priorities were
determined:
Agree completely
Can not assess
Conference Halls
23%
Spa and fitness centers availability
13%
Sports centers availability
13%
Rest and relaxation
35%
38%
Accommodation and its quality
92%
1%
Climate, sunny weather
1%
89%
70%
28%
75%
11%
10%
16%
16%
Transport services
15%
Personal safety and security
63%
27%
7%
General cleanliness
A place of easy access
66%
23%
10%
Sights diversity
68%
7%
9%
Variety of activities
46%
40%
44%
15%
0%
50%
22%
8%
Entertainment
Pristine nature
41%
35%
34%
28%
Casinos
Local cuisine offers
31%
I do not agree
7%
65%
35%
49%
16%
11%
8%
75%
81%
Fig. 8. Degree of tourist’s satisfaction
In Modern marketing the most effective advertising is considered to be the recommendations. The
best way to determine a real impression of customers is to determine whether they recommend this
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product to their acquaintances. Providing from these factors, the percentage of spreading positive
information among the respondents who had the second visits was very high:
I do not agree
Can not assess
Agree Completely
83%
69%
6%
1%
87%
71%
13%
19%
5%
6%
2%
I am satisfied
with the trip
I feel at home
2%
I'll be back again
Will recommend
to relatives
Fig.12. Dissemination of positive information likelihood
Tourist Information Centre Assessment by Tourists
Tourist Information Centers in Georgia are in the development process. They can be found/are
available only in the active tourist regions and cities. One of the research directions of their
work was to define efficiency and quality of service. 90% of respondents said that they were
satisfied with the services provided by the Information Centers:
120%
100%
96%
90%
93%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
1%
9%
General Service Quality of
Information Center
0%
4%
Satisfaction level of tour quality
proposed by the Information
Center
2%
5%
Service quality of personnel
Fig. 13. Information Centers’ Service Quality
Travel expenses and assessments
The average travel time and expenses in Georgiaare different. It depends on the user's age,
employment status, sex and other variables. According to the overall data, the average
expenditure per tourist has the rate of 1,023 EUR. Among the most low budget segment of the
tourist market are students and the high budget tourist are middle-aged employed women /
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men. In accordance with the nationalities, most of the money spent in Georgia falls on Russian,
Ukrainian and Western European tourists.
The different needs of the average expenditure are as follows (amounts are in euro currency):
Average transportation costs
€243
Accommodation average flow
€130
Average food spending
€67
Average cost of Cafe, bar, restaurant,
Average cost of souvenirs
€100
average cost of Entertainment (theater / cinema / museum tickets)
€36
The average spending on shopping
€76
Average rate of Other costs
€70
Total average expenditure per tourist
€45
€1,023
72% of visitors said that they did not exceed the costs incurred while traveling to Georgia by the
specified amount. 20% of the guests said that the cost was much less than planned. The proportion
of consumer respondents who said that the costs exceeded expectations were the students . Overall,
tourism expenditure assessment is as follows:
Lower than planned.
20%
Higher than planned
8%
Within what was
planned.
72%
Fig 14. Tourists Trip Cost Estimation
In relation to travel costs 70% said that the service was worth the fee/expenses. 64% of
respondents believe that in Georgia prices are reasonable for accommodation and food service .
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70% think that the prices of additional services, excursions, spa services, entertainment and
other facilities are absolutely acceptable.
Demographic and social characteristics of tourists
The average age of the surveyed tourists was 37 years old, including the youngest - 19 years
old, while the oldest is 65 years old. Among the respondents - 44% were women and 56% men.
0%
5%
4%
7%
Employed
Student
10%
Pensioner
Self-employed
Part-time employees
Unemployed
74%
Fig 15. Employment Status
The distribution of tourists interviewed by country of origin are as follows:
1%
1%
1%
2%
1% 1%
1% 1%
1%
1%
Poland
Russia
2%
2%
3%
1%
Ukraine
20%
Israel
3%
France
Georgia
4%
10%
5%
Germany
Lithuania
Czech Republic
7%
10%
7%
USA
Belgium
9%
9%
Latvia
Kazakhstan
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Fig 16. Tourists Interviews by Countries
Poland
Russia
Ukraine
Israel
France
Georgia
Germany
Lithuania
20%
10%
10%
9%
9%
7%
7%
5%
Czech Republic
USA
Belgium
Latvia
Kazakhstan
Luxembourg
Turkey
Armenia
Azerbaijan
Netherlands
Denmark
Sweden
Finland
Australia
Japan
Canada
4%
3%
3%
2%
2%
2%
1%
1%
1%
1%
1%
1%
1%
1%
1%
1%
Research Results of Tourist Information Centres
One of the aims of the research was to share the experience and level of development of
tourism in urban and regional information centers throughout the region in order to establish
better tourists’ characteristics.
As a result of the information obtained, it was possible to compile a profile of the typical
tourist, taking advantage of the determination and identification of areas for development.
The information centers were visited by 67% of foreign tourists and 33% of Georgian
tourists. Among studied 12 administrative units only one region noted that there was provided
a staff training sessions and communicative course of English.In other 11 regions negative
answers were receivedabout the trainings sessions in the regions that pointed to the lack of the
work done in this direction.
Does your information center
conduct a training sessions
8%
Yes
No
Topic of the training
Communication English
The target audience
The staff, the local people
involved in tourism
The training
organizer
NGO
92%
Urban and regional information centers occasionally cooperate with local public agencies and
private companies involved in the tourism sector. However, a lot of work should be done, because
it will encourage the rapid development of tourism at the local level:
Tourist Information Centers Partners
67%
50%
33%
25%
33%
58%
42%
50%
Fig 17. Partners of Regional Tourism Information Centers
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92% of Tourist Information Centers stated that they are still working on statistical data collection.
See below the tourist characteristics of the regions which were based on the data received from the
Tourist Informational Centers after they had filled the questionnaires.
Characteristics of tourists by region:
Ambrolauri
Tourist profile: Mountain Resort.
The region's most active tourists: Georgian, Polish, Ukrainian, French and Israelis
tourists.
Consumers age: 20 to 60 years.
The Consumers goal: Vacation - 82%, Cultural Tourism - 45%, Ecotourism - 20%.
Interests: 83% of visitors interested in cultural and natural monuments.
The type of consumer: 67% of tourists in the region were vacationers with families
Duration of stay: 42% of visitors stayed at an average of 10 days
The popular means of transport: Due to the lack of transport and poor roads, 50%
use a rented car, while 43% use the private cars, and a small portion of the bus.
Akhaltsikhe Tourist profile: The region is rich of Historical monuments
The region's most active tourists: Polish, Russian, Ukrainian and German tourists.
Consumers age: 20 to 50 years.
The Consumers goal: In this region 68% of the visitors were oriented to the recreation
and cultural tours and 31% tourists were wishing to visit relatives and friends.
Interests: 80% of visitors were interested in the historical and cultural monuments.
The type of consumer: 89% of tourists in the region, are traveling with a partner
Duration of stay: 52% of visitors stayed at an average of 7 days
The popular means of transport: This region is easily accessible and has comfortable
transport facilities. 62% of visitors used a bus / mini-bus to arrive, while 32% used
Bolnisi
train.
Tourist profile: Historical and multi-ethnic region
The region's most active tourists: Russian, Ukrainian, Azerbaijani and German tourists.
Consumers age: 20 to 35 years.
The Consumers goal: 45% of visitors to the region were cultural recreation-oriented
and 40% of tourists were wishing to visit relatives.
Interests: 98% of visitors were interested to view the historical sites
The type of consumer: 45% of tourists visited the region with a partner, while 35% of
tourists were traveling with their families.
Duration of stay: 42% of visitors stayed at an average of 7 days
Borjomi
The popular means of transport: Transport facilities are readily available in the region.
58% of visitors to the bus / mini bus travels, while 25% of the rented car.
Tourist profile: Healing / health resort.
The region's most active tourists: Georgian, Ukrainian, Russian, Azeri and Kazakh
tourists.
Consumers age: 25-75years
The Consumers goal: The goal of the journey is to restore the health - 65%,
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Ecotourism - 20%, entertainment - 5%.
Interests: Nature monuments, local healing tasting water and rafting.
The type of consumer: The consumer segment of families with children is 85% and
the elderly couples - 10%.
Duration of stay: 25% of visitors stayed at an average of 7 days, and 65% stayed for
8–14 days.
The popular means of transport: The public transport facilities connecting the region
is well developed.Most of the tourists travel by minibus - 55% and - 20% by train
Gori
Tourist profile: The Historical region
The region's most active tourists: Russian, American, German and Polish tourists.
Consumers age: 23-65 years
The Consumers goal: Cultural tourism - 65%, visit to friends and relatives - 25%.
Interests: View historical and cultural sites - 65%.
The type of consumer: Single traveler - 30%, middle-aged and older couples - 55%.
Duration of stay: about 7 days
The popular means of transport: The public transport facilities connecting the region
is well developed. The populartransport is a minibus - 45%, rented cars - 34%.
Kvareli
Tourist profile: The Historical region, Wine-producing region.
The region's most active tourists: Georgian, Russian, American and German tourists.
Consumers age: 21–54 years
The Consumers goal: Vacation - 30%, cultural recreation-35% and Entertainment 32%.
Interests: The local cuisine and wine tasting - 45%, cultural sites - 30%.
The type of consumer: Single travelers - 45%, young and middle-aged couples - 40%
Duration of stay: 7–days – 45%, 8–14 days-30%.
The popular means of transport: Rented cars - 35%, own cars - 32% and minibus -
Tbilisi
30%.
Tourist profile: The capital, administrative and cultural center.
The region's most active tourists: Polish, Jewish, Ukrainian, Russian, German tourists.
Consumers age: 21–75years
The Consumers goal: Entertainment - 43% , businesses tours - 35% and visit of
relatives / friends - 34%.
Interests: Cultural sites - 45% taking part in events - 48% of business meetings - 35%.
The type of consumer: Single travelers - 30%, of of families - 33% and of couples 37%.
Duration of stay: 7days – 40%, 7–14 days – 36%.
The popular means of transport: The plane - 65%, own cars - 25% and the train -
Telavi
10%.
Tourist profile: The Historical region, Wine-producing region.
The region's most active tourists: Czech, Polish, Belgian, Israeli tourists.
Consumers age: 30–50years
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The Consumers goal: Cultural Tourism - 45%, and visit of relatives - 24%.
Interests: Cultural sites - 67%, the local cuisine and wine tasting - 63%.
The type of consumer: Middle-aged couples - 47%, the families - 52%.
Duration of stay: 7days – 52%, 7–14 days – 16%.
Mestia
The popular means of transport: Rented car – 33%, Minibus – 46%.
Tourist profile: High mountain resort, UNESCO- cultural heritage of the region.
The region's most active tourists: Polish, Jewish, French and American tourists.
Consumers age: 25–50 years
The Consumers goal: Active Leisure - 75%, cultural tourism - 23%.
Interests: Alpinism - 85% , local cultural and natural sites - 85%, Camping - 45%.
The type of consumer: Lonely Tourist - 12% , young and middle-aged couples - 38%,
groups - 50%.
Duration of stay: 7–14 days – 65%.
The popular means of transport: Due to the complexity of the road22% of the
travelers used a helicopter ,25%- rented cars and 43% of the tourist groups used
mostly buses
Mtskheta
Tourist profile: The Historical region, UNESCO- cultural heritage of the region.
The region's most active tourists: Russian, Jewish, Ukrainian and Polish tourists.
Consumers age: 20–80years
The Consumers goal: Cultural Tourism - 45%, religious tourism - 45.
Interests: Cultural monuments, pilgrimage.
The type of consumer: Families - 33% , couples of different ages - 45%.
Duration of stay: 7days – 95%.
The popular means of transport: Minibus,rentedcar
Sighnaghi
Tourist profile: The reconstructed Historical region, Tourism brand "City of Love".
The region's most active tourists: Georgian, Ukrainian, German tourists.
Consumers age:19–49years
The Consumers goal: Entertainment - 45%, Cultural Tourism - 45, the local food and
wine tasting - 37%.
Interests: Participation in cultural and other events and sighting the cultural monuments.
The type of consumer: Students– 35%, Young and middle-aged couples– 55%.
Duration of stay: 7–14 days. – 85%.
The popular means of transport: Minibus – 35%,rentedcar– 37%.
Kutaisi
Tourist profile: Administrative City, UNESCO- cultural heritage of the region.
The region's most active tourists: Ukrainian, Polish, Lithuanian tourists.
Consumers age: 30–40years
The Consumers goal: Entertainment - 34%, Cultural Tourism - 42% , Eco-tourism 34%, and visiting the relatives - 20%.
Interests: Cultural and natural sights, local cuisine tastes
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The type of consumer: Single travelers, middle-aged couples, families.
Duration of stay: 7–14 days.
The popular means of transport: Minibus, train, rented car.
The study provided main statistics and data about trip motivation, tourists’ activity
interests, consumer behavior, tourists’ expenditure and experience.
Our research has shown that Georgia has a great potential for tourism development. The
Analysis of the received results clearly exposed the problems existing in the country’s tourism
sector development. It also should be noted the increased interest of visitors to the different
regions of Georgia. Based on the foregoing, the State and the government must take into
account the results of our research to choose the relevant measures for the development of
tourism in the country, as one of the promising business directions which plays an important
role in progress of the society in the country.
It is generally accepted that tourism in modern marketing system, is one of the highly
profitable direction of business for the state budge, which is very important for improving the
socio-economic status of the population, the growth of employment and reduction of migration.
Thus, the development of tourism, achievement of high level hospitality standards and their
maintenance in the country should be considered as priority activities, which will be supported
by results of our research.
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Chapter 9. Tourism - As the Principal Sphere for Economy Growth and
Intercultural Relations in Georgia
Tourism is the international trend, on which the most part of the country economy depends.
Therefore, each research aimed to study the tourism and its problems is very important and
prior.
Based on the modern-day challenges the foreign tourists are in search of new tourism
destinations, i.e. looking for fresh and different impressions.
From this standpoint Georgia has the potential of becoming a popular destination for tourists,
as the country with such a small area as Georgia comprises the features characterized both,
for Europe and Asia, due to the crossroads location between the two continents. Georgia – a
country no larger than Ireland – ranks in the world’s top 12 for geographical diversity. Set in
the heart of the Greater Caucasus, it contains the highest mountains in Europe, semi desert,
subtropical wetlands with different climatic zones, national parks and forests, healing
environment and mineral waters, a rich wine district and the Black Sea coast much with ancient
stone towers, the beautiful and untouched nature. Add to this more species of animals and birds
than in any European country and you have a walker’s paradise (Nasmyth, 2013).
Additionally to above mentioned, Georgia is famous for its ancient history, multiethnic and
rich culture, wine and cuisine and the exceptional Georgian hospitality. That’s why the
majority of tourists used to visit Georgia not only for a rest, but also for exploring the
recreation zones as well as for educational, adventure and cultural reasons. Heritage in
Georgia is almost synonymous with religious heritage. Few countries in the world possess such
an intensity of built religious patrimony in a small territory as the foundations of their heritage
tourism sector as Georgia does. Georgia is already an increasingly popular destination, but
owing to its important religious history, a great number of ancient churches and holy relics, and
the inseparable mix of religious and natural heritage, the country has the potential to develop
further in three areas of heritage tourism: domestic pilgrimage; international pilgrimage among
Orthodox Christians from Eastern Europe and countries of the former USSR; and non-religious
cultural tourists from all over the world (Metreveli et al, 2010).
Rural tourism is an old and a new phenomenon at the same time. The WTO has rated Rural
Tourism as one of the fastest growing segments in the tourism industry, with an annual growth
of 5 per cent worldwide and representing 6 per cent of the world GDP (Dilys et al, 2001).
The problems of agro tourism are: poorly researched field of the tourist industry and the lack
of a specific definition of the tourism terms. At present there are many definitions of "agro
tourism." It is quite difficult to choose the most suitable definition for Agro tourism because of
its broad and multi-growing fields in the tourism industry. Some authors consider agro tourism
as one of the fields of eco-tourism (Volkov, 2012; Kundius et al, 2011). However, the growth
of popularity and rapid development of this type of tourism allows to consider it as an
independent segment of the tourism market, which stands out in a separate branch in the world
from the end of the last century.
Agro tourism essentially is an environmentally friendly field, but is fundamentally different in
its objectives, the specifics of the organization and the nature of the ecotourism, though, in our
opinion, both types of tourism motivation are very similar. Therefore, we believe that ecotourism and agro-tourism are the elements of the concept of sustainable development of rural
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areas, implying a use of natural resources and unlimited long maintenance of their level
(Kosenchuk et al, 2015).
Successful developing tourism finds its reflection in the development of main spheres of the
country or separate regions. To transform the structure of the country economics it is necessary
to establish a broad network of tourism industry. It is a well known fact that the mountainous
regions are a real treasure of cultural heritage of Mankind, being architectural monuments or
models of public life, unique samples of folklore or others. That’s why mountainous regions
generally and Georgia among them may be considered to be a sphere of a stable development
of special kinds of tourism such as: cultural tourism, ecotourism, agro tourism, sustainable rural
tourism, youth and adventure tourism, wine tourism, business tourism, medical tourism and
other types of tourism also have become very popular among the tourists worldwide.
The most active and busy periods for tourist visits are from late spring to early fall.
Traditionally, the number of tourists reaches its peak in August. September is noted as the
most active season of the last year. However, the main problem of mountainous - skiing resorts
is its seasonal character. They work and get income only for 100 days in a year, when they are
have to spend money during the whole year. Georgia has a great opportunity in this direction as
the slopes of the mountains are covered with snow from November till April (Gelashvili,
2012).
The focus on tourism development does not only contribute to creation of the infrastructure
(roads, health facilities, sports, fitness center) or necessity of preservation of historical,
religious and archeological sites, local folklore, traditions, art and cuisine, culture, but also
contributes to bringing the Nations closer and developing cooperation between them, as the
increase of the number of tourists in the country promotes the establishment of friendly
relations between the representatives of different countries and cultures. The example of this is
a close cooperation between Georgia and Turkey (Baramidze, 2012).
Nevertheless, the awareness of the world about Georgia as a tourist destination is still low.
Georgia is trying to maximize the level of knowledge and the awareness of the world
community by means of marketing and PR activities. The country participates in International
exhibitions; hosts tour operators and journalists, and also cooperates with such TV Channels as
National Geographic, CNN, Travel Channel and others.
National Tourism Agency often organizes Georgian Culture Days abroad.
Proceeding from all of the above said, concerning the current situation in the sphere of
Georgian tourism the submitted article offers the results discussed and obtained by the
authors.
Research design and methodology
The study was carried out in target cities and municipalities - covering 12 administrative units:
Ambrolauri, Tbilisi, Rustavi, Tbilisi, Gori, Kvareli, Batumi, Poti, Mestia, Mtskheta, Telavi,
Kutaisi.
About 150 respondents were questioned.
Private Sectors in Tourism Industry
During the survey of the less tourist-active regions the family hotels of the private sector and
tourist agents were questioned. The study revealed the problems they had faced in this process
and what they mostly needed to promote the further development of tourism in their regions.
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Family hotels’ owners who have been operating in the market for more than 8 years were
interviewed. Despite the vast work experience none of them has been given the opportunity to
expand the business that is why they can accommodate only 20 guests at a time. In their
business they can employ not more than 2 persons.
They describe their work as small-sized accommodation possibilities which are focused to
create a cozy, warm and family atmosphere. Besides the accommodation their services include
the provision of excursions in the region and the offer for tourists to involve them in the
process of preparing traditional food and wine.
8%
8%
15%
38%
The traveler tourist
Business guests
Ecotourist
Birdwatcher
31%
School travelers
Fig.1. Types of tourists
56% of tourists using guest houses are Georgian tourists, while 44% are the foreign tourists.
Among these tourists most are traveler tourists:
20-30 years
15%
23%
30-40 years
40-60 years
31%
31%
above the 60
years
Fig.2. The age structure of tourists
During the survey it was noted that there is a lack of provision with tourist promotional
materials for private tourist facilities and their representation on the Internet, which is an
integral part of modern tourism activities. The absolute majority of the hotels are not listed on
an international reservation portals, which makes it very difficult to find any information
about them. In fact, they only exist due to social networking and unexpected tourists. The
region preserves its actuality through the amount of the tourists who got some
recommendations from their friends and relatives to visit the region.
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35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
Fig. 3. Information retrieval ways of tourists
Printed information
material
Does
not
have a
Booklet
60%
Have a
Booklet
40%
Among them who
have a booklet
In
Russian
25%
In
English
25%
In
Georgia
n
50%
Fig.4. Provision information material for visitors
Travel motivation, in most cases, is a sightseeing tour or business trip. Less share comes on
other activities:
Table 1. Family hotel consumers travel motivation
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Visits to historical and cultural sights
26%
Business trips' purposes or a conference attendance
21%
Rest and relaxation in the countryside
16%
Participation in extreme sports activities
16%
Improvement of health and spa services
5%
Attendance of Entertainment Events
5%
Trade purposes
5%
Visiting of relatives and friends
5%
Visit duration in guest house: The consumer segment consists mainly of Georgian tourists
on vacation with a family, who usually stay at a guesthouse more than 2 weeks.
More than
2 weeks
29%
1-2 night
30%
1–2 week
1%
3–6 night
40%
Fig. 5. Tourists visit duration
Family hotel businesses, as well as tourist agencies' services are dependent on seasons.
According to the respondents, the main tourist season begins in April and lasts until midSeptember. In contrast, tourists’ agencies are active due to New Year celebrations.
Proceeding from the questionnaire 50% of Family hotel services provide beds and breakfasts,
33% - beds and only 17% provide guests full board/full package.
80% of the surveyed private sector family hotel owners do not provide training courses for
their employees. Only 20% of respondents said that they attended the training sessions for
managers organized by NGO (non-governmental organizations).
The region's tourism potential assessment of the private sector
Small businesses are aware of the crucial importance to provide satisfactory service to the
tourists and the sustainability in everything they do. They say that their guests are mainly
permanent customers and amount of other tourists comes to those tourists who got the
recommendations from their permanent customers.
One of the most serious problems in the region is the migration of young people from their
regions to the cities. The main reason identified was unemployment. Many picturesque resort
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places rich with natural resources are not rationally examined as the sites for economic
growth and local peoples’ engagement. This concerns government and private sectors, both.
The respondents believe and hopefully declare that the government will facilitate the
development of business in the regions for to assist in returning of migrants.
Special attention should be devoted to Sustainable Rural Tourism as the major part of
Georgia belongs to rural areas and the most attractive tourism destinations are accumulated
there. According to the respondents’ opinions it will be preferable to arrange summer camps
for school children and students that would promote the development of local tourism and
arise an interest and curiosity in the youth to get acquainted with tourist resources.
General cleanliness and Orderliness of
public toilets
Shops and souvenirs Quality
Children's playgrounds
Parks / gardens beautification
Can not assess
Safety of visitors
Too bad
Quite bad
Environment Clean care
Good
Very good
Quality of transport infrastructure
Quality of tourist maps
Tourist markings, signs and maps quality
Quality of tourism information center
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
Fig.6. Self-assessment of the infrastructure quality
Conclusion
The representatives working in the private sector express their regret on the lack of attention
from the government which does not assist in providing enough tourist information to the
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regions. They noted that the regions were in need of many things necessary for the
development of tourism in their regions. According to their opinion the government supports
many other activities and advertisements on international and local levels, spends a lot of
effort and money but they do not pay attention to the work performed by the private sector.
They believe that all the regions have the potential for tourism development in Georgia, but
only possession of historical and cultural resources is not enough. Attention should be drawn
to the below given directions that will provide an extra motivation for local and foreign
tourists to travel in different regions of Georgia:
Table 2. Directions for Development
Restoration of historical monuments
80%
Promotion of rural tourism
80%
Organizing of Sports Tournaments
80%
Creation of Wine roads
60%
Promotion of Religious tourism
60%
Organizing of festivals and cultural activities
60%
Arrangement of Mountaineering paths for Climbers
60%
Arrangement of Entertainment
60%
Cycling Development
45%
Organizing of Spa, fitness Centers
40%
Improving of the people's qualification,employed in tourism
40%
Our research has shown that Georgia possesses a great potential for tourism development. The
Analysis of the received results clearly revealed the problems existing in the country’s tourism
sector development. The increased interest of visitors to different regions of Georgia should be
especially noted. Based on the foregoing state, the government must take into account the
results of our research, i.e. to choose the relevant measures for tourism development as the
principal sphere for economy growth and intercultural relations with an external world.
Especially maximum of attention should be directed to sustainable rural tourism as the sources
of livelihood improvement and the progress of the society development in the country. Rural
tourism has the potential to leave a positive impact on the economic environment and
development of the study area, through increasing employment opportunities, increasing
business diversity and activity, improving sales of goods and services, higher amounts
collected in taxes, renovation and maintenance of cultural and historical heritage. This will
make the local population to take pride and care of the natural and historical values of the
region, the development levels between regions start to equalize. Rural tourism development
can play an important role in the diversification of the state tourist supply and in the creation of
a more complex and colorful country image. This cardinal change of the situation will relieve
the stress, accumulated by the people over a year of intense work in urban areas, who are
supposed to get their ration of health and psychological relief (Birjakov, 2000).
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On the other hand, rural tourism is not only the end, but the means to stimulate economic
growth in the rural areas, to increase the viability of underdeveloped regions, and to improve
the living standards of local populations. If rural tourism is to fulfill all these roles, it has to be
developed in a way that ensures the long-term sustainability of the resources and that of the
development process itself (Oruonye, 2013). Thus the motivation of rural recreation - unity
with nature, clean air, organic food, change of conditions, a smaller number of people, the
absence of population density, different lifestyle, schedule and the culture of life, the
opportunity to participate in agricultural works and harvesting, animals care and what is most
important - a low cost vacation (Birjakov, 2000).
It is generally considered that tourism in modern marketing system is one of the highly
profitable direction of business for the state budget. Moreover, it is very important for
improving the socio-economic status of the population, the growth of employment and
reduction of migration. Thus, the development of tourism, the achievements of high level
hospitality standards and their maintenance in the country should be acknowledged as the
main activities, which will be supported by the results of our research.
References:
1. Baramidze I. (2012). Development of tourism in Georgia on the Model of the Autonomous
Republic of Adjara and Shota Rustaveli State University. 1st Winter Summit at the
Anatolian Summit (WISAS): Collaborative Projects on Tourism Sports, Biodiversity and
Global Changes. Birjakov M.B. (2000). Introduction to Tourism. Publishing House
“Gerda”. (in Russian)
2. Dilys R., Grieg-Gran M., Schalken W. (2001). Getting the Lion's Share from Tourism:
Private Sector-community Partnerships, IIED, NACOBTA
3. Gelashvili T. (2012). Perspectives in the Development of tourism in the Mountain Region.
1st Winter Summit at the Anatolian Summit (WISAS): Collaborative Projects on Tourism,
Sports, Bio Diversity and Global Changes.
4. Volkov S.K. (2012). Rural Tourism in Russian Federation: Tendencies and Perspectives of
Development. Economy, Entrepreneurs and Law. № 6 (17). (in Russian)
5. Kosenchuk O.V., Blinov O.A., Novikov Yu.I., Rabkanova M.A. (2015). The Concept of
Rural Tourism in Theory and Practice Management of Rural Areas. Digital scientific
journal Modern Problems of Science and Education, № 2. (in Russian)
6. Kundius V.A., Chermjanina V.V. (2011). Problems and Perspectives of Agro tourism in the
Region. Agrarian Russia. № 2. (in Russian)
7. Metreveli, M. & Timothy, D. J. (2010). Religious Heritage and Emerging Tourism in the
Republic of Georgia. Journal of Heritage Tourism. 5(3): Nasmyth P. (2013). Walking in
the Caucasus Georgia including flora and fauna. Mta Publications.
8. Oruonye E. D. (2013). The Challenges of Rural Tourism Development in Nigeria: A Case
of Yorro lga, Taraba State Nigeria. International Journal of Social Sciences Arts and
Humanities Vol.1. No. 1.
9. http://georgia.travel/eng/Information_for_tourists/Statistics
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Chapter 10. Hospitality and Restaurants, Hospitality and Restaurant
Management – an International Prospect
CONTENT
1. Introduction. Welcome to Georgia
2. International Arrivals
3. Most Visited Destination
4. Main Purpose of Visit - International Visitors
5. Accommodation, International Visitors
6. Room Availability
7. Main Purpose of travel - Georgian Residential Population
8. Accommodation - Georgian Residential Population
9. Hospitality and Tourism Defined
10. Importance of Hospitality and Tourism to Georgia
11. Hospitality, Tourism, and Recreation Job Outlook
12. Hospitality and Tourism Series
13. Government policy towards tourism development
a. European Youth Olympic Festival 2015
b. UEFA Super Cup 2015
c. EBRD Annual Conference
d. Artificial Snow on Georgian Winter Resorts
e. Euro 2016 Qualifying Matches
14. Upcoming Events and Projects
14.1 New Branded Hotels to Be Built in Georgia
14.2. Recent Events
a. Increased Room Capacity
b. Temporary Closure of Sheraton
c. Hilton Garden Inn
d. InterContinental Hotels Group
e. The Radisson Blu Resort Tsinandali
f. Millennium
g. Park Inn
h. Rixos Residence
i. 5 Star Hotel on Rustaveli Avenue
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1. Introduction
Welcome to Georgia
Georgia (Georgian: საქართველო, Sakartvelo) is a country in the Caucasus. It lies at the
eastern end of the Black Sea, with Turkey and Armenia to the south,Azerbaijan to the east,
and Russia to the north, over the Caucasus Mountains.
Georgia is fast becoming a popular tourist hub.
Offering vast mountain ranges with superb walking,
skiing and snowboarding opportunities, a magnificent
sub-tropical coastline with a temperate climate,
immense architectural and archaeological sites and a modern capital displaying contemporary
Georgian culture, there is plenty for the visitor to see and do. Located on the strip of land
between the Black and Caspian seas known as the Caucasus, Georgia has been continuously
inhabited since the Stone Age. The busiest trade route of the ancient world, the Silk Road, ran
through Georgia, bringing many different cultures through its borders and enriching its
economy. Because of its transcontinental location the country has been invaded and occupied
throughout the centuries by various forces such as the Persians, Romans, Arab Caliphs and
Mongols. This is best seen in the
country's
impressive
archaeological ruins, some dating
back to the 5th century BC and in
its impressive fortresses and
churches.
Gaining independence from the
Soviet Union in 1991, the country
is embracing its tourist potential.
Known
for
their
sincere
hospitality, Georgians do their
best to make visitors feel
welcome. Often guests are invited
to dine at residents' homes to
partake in the supra tradition,
where local cuisine can be
sampled, an amazing blend of
Asian, Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, Persian and European flavors. Such occasions are
marked by toasts of wine, reflecting the 3,000 year-old Georgian viticulture heritage.
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The capital Tbilisi, named after the warm springs found in the area, has a distinct
Mediterranean atmosphere. Visitors can wander the winding narrow streets and indulge in the
café culture, visit some of the finest museums and art galleries in the region, as well as the
theatre and Turkish baths. At the other end of this small country, the warm Black Sea invites
travelers to source out its more isolated beaches and visit the many local markets, spilling over
with fresh produce from the orange, banana and lemon groves found in the area.
Georgia has been a tourist destination since the Romans ruled it in the third century. Since then,
Georgia has been ruled by Persians, Turks, Mongols and the former Soviet Union, but the
country has not lost its essential character or its reputation for hospitality. Travelers who make
an effort to learn some of the language and interact with the locals as much as possible can
construct an exciting and edifying off-the-beaten-path adventure.
Nowadays Tourism is Georgia’s third largest industry and revenue source — is projected to be
a source of economic growth in the next decade. The hospitality and tourism industries provide
many jobs and a large portion of the Georgia’s gross domestic product (GDP).
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HORECA share in total GDP (2014*)
HORECA – Hotel/Restaurant/Catering
Source: National Statistics Office of Georgia
Data for 2014 is based on the first three
quarters of the year
Nominal GDP contribution
(HORECA) 2%
Nominal GDP
(except HORECA) 98%
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2. International Arrivals
According to the Georgian
National Tourism Agency, 65%
International Arrivals 2014
of foreign visitors to Georgia in
2014 were from a Common
wealth of Independent States
Turkey - 27%
(CIS), 32% from the European
Armenia -22%
Region (including Turkey,
24%
Others -6%
28%
excluding the CIS countries)
Ukraine - 3%
and 3% from other countries.
Russia - 15%
The visitors from the CIS
Azerbaijan - 23%
countries were predominantly
16%
from
Armenia
(22%),
Poland - 1%
Azerbaijan (23%), and the
23%
Iran -1%
6%
Russian Federation (15%) and
Israel - 1%
3%
most of the visitors from the
Germany - 1%
European region came from
Turkey (27%).
The statistics for the past years
also demonstrate that the most popular season among international travelers is summer, while
the busiest months are July, August and September. During this period, in 2014, the number of
international arrivals equaled 1,944,233 (July: 670,256; August: 772,216; September: 501,761),
which is a 2.21% increase from the same period last year.
A comparison of global growth rates and that of Georgia showed that during the last five years
international arrivals in Georgia increased considerably faster than in the rest of the world. The
number of tourists traveling internationally throughout the world was growing at a steady rate
during recent years. As of 2014 the growth of international arrivals in Georgia has reduced
down to the global rate.
Tbilisi International Airport
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3. Most Visited Destination
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4. Main Purpose of Visit - International Visitors
International visits were mostly undertaken for holiday, leisure or recreation purposes (37%).
Other frequently observed purposes included visiting friends or relatives (26%), transit (17%),
shopping (9%) and business/professional trips (4%). Only 7% of visits were for other purposes
(Education or training, health and medical care, etc).
Number of Accommodation Units
Accommodation Units by Types and Regions
5. Accommodation, International Visitors
In 2013, the most commonly used type of accommodation for the foreigners visiting Georgia
was Hotels (64%). More than a third of tourists (34%) resided at a private home of a friend or a
relative (17%), 13% stayed in a hostel, 7% rented an apartment. Less common types of
accommodation were private home (5%) and campsite or trailer park (3%), and other (6%).
6. Room Availability
As of September 2014 there are 1,146 accommodation units, with a bed capacity of 39,341
beds in Georgia. The highest concentration of accommodation units lies in the Adjara region
were Georgia’s main sea resorts (Batumi, Anaklia, Kobuleti, etc.) are located. Adjara is
followed by the capital, Tbilisi, which maintains its leadership with the highest number of
international arrivals in Georgia (including transit and overnight travelers).
7. Main Purpose of travel - Georgian Residential Population
According to the data provided by GNTA, in 2013 domestic travelers’ most frequent reasons
for travel within Georgia were visiting friends or relatives (45%), followed by holiday, leisure
and recreation trips (15%). Less common visiting purposes included shopping (12%), health
and medical care (9%), business trips (3%), visiting a second home (4%), and other (12%).
8. Accommodation - Georgian Residential Population
85% of domestic travelers stayed in private homes owned either by them or by friends or
relatives. Only 10% have stayed in either guesthouse (4%), hotel (3%), or rented rooms (3%).
5% used other types of accommodations.
Accommodation capacity (2014)
Region
Number of
Bed capacity Bed capacity's
Adjara
251
10,380
26.4%
Tbilisi
148
6,916
17.6%
Samtskhe-Javakheti
161
6,224
15.8%
Imereti
129
3,922
10.0%
Guria
55
2,818
7.2%
Mtskheta-Mtianeti
86
2,791
7.1%
Kakheti
151
2,720
6.9%
Samegrelo-Zemo
106
2,140
5.4%
Racha-Lechkumi
30
723
1.8%
Kvemo Kartli
18
539
1.4%
Shida Kartli
11
168
0.4%
1,146
39,341
100.0%
Total
9. Hospitality and Tourism Defined
The hospitality and tourism industries are intertwined facets of the leisure service industry. The
hospitality industry is a sector of the tourism industry that deals with guest service including
restaurants, hotels, meetings, catering, resorts, clubs, and casinos. Georgia's hotels are an
important segment of the state's economy. 9.7 percent of all jobs in the country are directly or
indirectly related to the lodging industry, with hotels, motels, resorts, or lodges generating a
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substantial amount of money in direct sales. The lodging and food service industries comprise
the largest sector of small businesses in Georgia.
Tourism deals with travel away from home and encompasses all service industry and travelrelated industries involved from transportation to entertainment, including attractions, food and
lodging, marketing, planning, and development.
The hospitality industry reaches far beyond just providing their guests with comfortable rooms
or convenient meeting spaces — they are interlinked with many other industries, such as
transportation, restaurants, agriculture, manufacturing, and recreation. Georgia's lodging
industry employees approximately 10 561 people.
Neither hospitality nor tourism have clear cut definitions used by everyone. In general,
hospitality businesses are those that:
• welcome guests and provide exceptional guest service;
• provide services to guests away from home; or
• provide lodging, meals, entertainment, and activities to people while they are away
from home.
Tourism occurs when people travel away from home and involves many players and has many
forms. The players include the governments and communities that host tourists, the hospitality
businesses that provide services, and transportation businesses as well as the natural
environment, attractions, and amenities that draw tourists to destinations. These attractions give
tourism its many forms; for example, there is sport tourism, ecotourism, agro tourism, mass
tourism, theme park tourism, sun and sand tourism, nature-based tourism, adventure tourism,
cultural tourism, historical tourism, medical tourism and the list goes on and on. Tourism,
whether for business or pleasure, seeks to provide visitors with memorable, enriching
experiences such as a roller coaster ride, immersion into a different culture, horse ride, dolphin
watching, birding, milking cows and many other entertainments. Figure 1 lists the top
domestic activities for Georgian travelers, combining hospitality and tourism.
10. Importance of Hospitality and Tourism to Georgia
Aiming to continue the positive development of the travel and tourism industry in Georgia, a
number of actions have been undertaken. The government announced its aim to prioritize the
development of infrastructure in the country. Major reconstruction works related to tourism are
already underway. In order to improve the travel accommodation category, the government has
developed a Hotel Investment initiative, which provides favorable conditions for investors to
enter the Georgian market. Further steps have been taken to develop a skilled human resources
pool, aiming to improve the quality of customer services in travel and tourism. The Georgian
National Tourism Administration is developing large-scale marketing campaigns, targeting
new markets and new tourist product development. As this data shows, Georgia’s hospitality
and tourism industries are integral to the economy. The restaurant, lodging, outdoor activity
and tourism industries provide a large percentage of tax revenues, as well as employment
(see Table I). Despite their integral role, these industries often are overlooked when
determining the important economic factors providing sustainability to Georgia.
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Figure 1. Top domestic travel activities participated in by Georgian residents.
Table I. Georgia long-term occupational projections for selected jobs: 2004-2014
(Source: Georgia Workforce Development Web site: www.georgia.travel)
Occupation Title
Previous
Estimated Percent
2004
2014
Change
Employment Employment
Total Annual
Openings
Meeting and Convention Planners
268
331
23.5
12
Food Service Managers
2444
2730
16.6
68
Recreation Workers
1875
2091
11.5
65
First Line Supervisors/Managers of Food Preparation
and Serving Workers
5195
6024
16.0
207
First Line Supervisors/Managers of Housekeeping
and Janitorial Workers
1505
1697
12.8
60
Travel Agents
601
534
-11.1
14
Lodging Managers
366
467
27.6
16
Note: Georgia does not list all travel industry/tourism jobs at this time.
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11. Hospitality, Tourism, and Recreation Job Outlook
The hospitality industry is comprised of many jobs related to the “service” of guests while they
are away from home. The tourism industry includes many interrelated businesses, from lodging
and restaurants to airlines, cruise lines, car rental companies, and tour operators. Many of these
fields are expected to see an increase in employment. For example, employment for recreation
workers is projected to increase by 13 percent between 2015 and 2016, which is approximately
as fast as or faster than the average for all occupations. Table II show projected and 2006
changes in Georgian demand for hospitality and tourism jobs.
Table 2. Complimentary transportation, tour operator’s activity
Tour-operators
Number of the tour agencies
Number of registered tour guides
Number of people employed in the tourism sector
Number of employed persons in hotels
Among which:
534
296
730
74 000
10 561
Women
4375
Men
6186
One of the greatest concerns in the hospitality and tourism industries over the past decade has
been the lack of trained managers and employees. In Georgia many jobs are available in these
industries. In reviewing Georgia's job projections for 2004-2014, there will be above average
growth in demand for many conventional hospitality and tourism jobs.
12. Hospitality and Tourism Series
The hospitality and tourism industries are important to Georgia. The industries are
multifaceted and there is much that goes into creating a successful hospitality or
tourism business. A small business owner wears many hats and develops many
business skills. For example, a successful agro tourism business will need to
successfully market and promote the business, including writing press releases and
brochures. It will need to educate visitors and create a memorable experience that
leads to word-of-mouth advertising and return business.
13. Government Policy Towards Tourism Development
The hotel sector together with tourism is further facilitated by supportive programs and
financing from the government of Georgia. Tourism development is one of the top priorities
(third out of twelve state budget priorities and programs for 2015) for the Georgian government
as seen in its state budget for 2015.
For 2015 the funds assigned in the state budget to the Ministry of economy for the upcoming
years are as followed (in GEL):
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2015 – 126 million
2016 – 128 million
2017 – 128 million
2018 – 134 million
The main capital projects on which the budget will
be utilized are in the fields of regional
development, infrastructure and tourism: periodic
maintenance and rehabilitation of roads, coastline
protection works, transit highways, water
infrastructure, sewage systems, cultural heritage protection program, rehabilitation of irrigation
systems and equipment purchase, etc.
a. European Youth Olympic Festival 2015
In 2015 Georgia hosted the Youth Olympic Festival 2015, in Tbilisi. The number of athletes
participating from 49 European countries exceeded 4,000. Together with spectators the city of
Tbilisi hosted more than 10,000 visitors.
Opening of the season will not rely on the weather anymore, which will increase the number of
the tourists and boost the resort’s revenues. The project budget is up to GEL 25 million, out of
which GEL 9 million will be spent during 2014.
According to the Deputy Head of Gudauri Development Agency, Sandro Onoprishvili, the
project will result in a 20-25% increase in the number of tourists who visit Georgia’s winter
resorts annually. Furthermore, the state budget will benefit from the increased revenues
generated by the hotels and local residents whose main source of income is generated from
hospitality services offered to international and domestic tourists.
b. UEFA Super Cup 2015
In August 2015, Mikheil Meskhi Stadium (Dinamo
Arena) in Tbilisi hosted a mega sport event, the UEFA
Super Cup. The UEFA Super Cup is an annual football
match between the winners of the Champions League
and the Europe League. The event is expected to gather
football fans from all over the world. The attendance for
the prior UEFA Super Cup events in Prague, Czech
Republic (2013) and in Cardiff, UK (2014) was 17,686
and 30,854 respectively.
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c. EBRD Annual Conference
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) held its 24th Annual
Meeting of the Board of Governors and Business Forum in Tbilisi on 14-15 May 2015. During
this event the Bank Officials make key decisions about Bank’s strategic development.
d. Artificial snow on Georgian winter resorts
On August 30, 2014 a contract for the production of the artificial snow was signed between
Gudauri Development Agency and DEMAKLENKO. According to the contract, geological,
geodetic and mapping works will be carried out on the resorts, as well as projection of the
artificial water reservoirs and snowing of the first skiing tracks of Gudauri and Didveli.
e. Euro 2016 Qualifying Matches
For the Euro 2016 qualifying matches Georgia will host UEFA Group D members, including
Germany, Republic of Ireland, Poland, Scotland, Georgia, and Gibraltar.
Considering the fact that there are only 6,916 bed-places in Tbilisi (including guest houses and
family home stays) investment to fill the gap in supply.
14. Upcoming Events and Projects
14.1 New Branded Hotels to be Built in Georgia
One of the most influential websites of hotel business in the world TOPHOTELPROJECTS
writes about a new wave of construction of major branded hotels in Georgia. According to the
portal, it is connected with the growth of tourism and demand for hotels in the country.
According to the site, soon several new large and medium-sized hotels will open in Batumi.
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Currently 170 hotels meant for 7 000 seats are
functioning in Tbilisi and in the next 3 years
the hotels with a total capacity of 1 000 seats
will be built. In particular, it is planned to
build Rixos, Millennium Hotel, Park Inn,
Rooms Hotel Tbilisi, InterContinental and
Hilton Garden Inn hotels. Kempinski, Holiday
Inn, Hilton, Swiss Hotel, Babylon Tower,
Cubic Tower and Gazelli, Turkish association
Mersin Tourism Batumi will open in Batumi.
In Tbilisi, the construction of a grand hotel began on the main avenue of Tbilisi, which is
carried out by the fund from the UAE Abu Dhabi Group, which invests in the project about
USD 40 million. The hotel will be completed by 2016. In the same year, a 14-storey hotel
Hilton Garden Inn will be opened on the investments of the European Bank for Reconstruction
and Development and the Georgian development company Redix. Simultaneously, Redix plans
to build hotels in three tourist regions of the country. The Adjara Group Hospitality together
with InterContinental Hotels Group is reconstructing the publishing house of the Soviet period
in the center of Tbilisi, where InterContinental hotel will open in 2016. Batumi Hotel Holiday
Inn will open at the end of 2014, Rooms Hotel in Borjomi - in 2015. The International Carlson
Rezidor Hotel Group, managing the brands Radisson, Park Plaza and Park Inn, also has big
plans in Georgia. According to Area Vice President for Eastern Europe Tom Flanagan, 10 new
hotels are planned to open in Georgia in 2017-18. Currently, International Carlson Rezidor
Hotel Group owns two hotels in Georgia - Radisson Blu Iveria hotel in Tbilisi and Batumi; in
2015 Park Inn hotel will be also opened in the capital. Turkish company Divan Group plans to
build non-branded hotels in Georgia - in particular, in May 2014, it has already opened a hotel
consisted of 65 rooms in Batumi. The development company Red-Co plans to build hotel and
residential apartments in the ski resorts of Gudauri and Bakuriani.
14.2. Recent Events
a. Increased Room Capacity
Best Western Tbilisi and Rooms Hotel Tbilisi with 48 and 141 room capacities were opened
during 2014. Both hotels are managed by Ajara Group.
b. Temporary Closure of Sheraton
Sheraton Metekhi Palace was closed for 1 year in
December, 2014. As per Management of “Ras Al
Khaima Investment Authority Georgia” the hotel will
be fully reconstructed, the capacity will be increased
by 80 rooms. The Hotel is in process of full
renovation and as of 2016 will be delighted to host
you at a city signature hotel. Also, it will be
upgraded to 5 star hotel.
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c. Hilton Garden Inn
Hilton Hotels & Resorts, together with local partners,
are planning to open two hotels in Georgia starting from
2016. The Project is financed by the European Bank for
Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) with the
issuance of $18.7 million loan to the Georgian real
estate group Redix.
The first property, the Hilton Garden Inn Tbilisi
Chavchavadze, a fourteen story building, will have a
capacity of 165 rooms. The second 247-room Hilton
Batumi includes plans for retail shopping, a casino and a health club.
e. InterContinental Hotels Group
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) announced the opening
of the InterContinental Tbilisi in 2016. The 200-room hotel will
operate under a management agreement with the existing
owner-partner Adjara Group, a Tbilisi-based hospitality
company.
f. The Radisson Blu Resort Tsinandali
Located in Kakheti, the heartland of Georgia's wine region,
the new Radisson Blu Resort at Tsinandali bridges the
millennia-old tradition of wine making in the Southern
Caucasus and current global trends in cultural tourism,
creating a unique guest experience. The Radisson Blu Resort
will welcome its first guests in the first half of 2016.John
Fotiadis Architect PLLC (“JFA”), a New York based
architecture firm, was hired by Silk Road Group to re-purpose
the historic wine factory at Tsinandali, and design a new 100
room boutique hotel adjacent to wine factory.
g. Millennium
The construction of the hotel is funded by the UAE Abu
Dhabi Group, with a total investment of USD 40 million.
The opening of the hotel is scheduled for 2016.
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h. Park Inn
The mid-market hotel Park Inn, located on Rustaveli Avenue, operated by Rezidor, featurs
200 rooms scheduled to open at the end of 2015. Besides guest rooms, the hotel will
comprise all-day-dining restaurants, a lobby bar and surface car parking. Park Inn by
Radisson to be built Tbilisi by 2017.
i. Rixos Residence The famous hotel chain Rixos Residence will open its branch in Tbilisi.
The luxury 5 star
Rixos Residence
Hotel will be
constructed
on
Gudiashvili Street.
This will be an
outstanding hotel
within the Roxus
chain, in terms of
architecture and
quality. The hotel
will consist of 60 apartments and about 40 shops of famous brands, such as Christian Dior,
Hugo Boss and Stella Mc Cartney. The construction of the five star hotel has been financed by
Israeli investors since 2010. A spokesman for the Georgian-Israeli Chamber of Commerce has
stated that 15 million USD have already been invested into the project, and additional
investment is being planned by the Israeli side for the future.
j. 5 Star Hotel on Rustaveli Avenue
In 2017 the opening of 5 star hotel located in the
former building of the Ministry of Justice is
expected. The initial investment amounts to USD 60
million. The brand name is not declared yet.
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k. A 7-star Presidential Hotel to be Opened in Tbilisi
“Commersant” exclusively reports that Dhabi Group plans to open a 7-star presidential hotel
behind the so-called Imeli building.
Dhabi Group Executive Director told us that it would be Millennium Biltmore, which is
functioning only in the United States, California, and the second hotel will be opened in Tbilisi.
In an exclusive interview
with “Commersant”, Sam
Edward says that the
opening of the hotel is
planned for January 2016.
According to him, in
addition to the hotel, a trade
center will be located in the
complex while on the
hotel’s 34th floora
restaurant
offering
Georgian and the Middle
East cousin.
Edward says that the Presidential Suite will be arranged in the hotel which doesn’t have any
hotel in the capital and will serve presidents or VIP persons.
Dhabi Group Executive Director notes that the world’s most modern casino, which is under a
joint management of Los Angeles-based casino and China’s Macau casino, will operate in the
hotel as well.
Dhabi Group intends to invest $ 140 million in Millennium Biltmore construction. In the words
of Sam Edward, Dhabi Group is holding the negotiations with the Ministry of Economy, CoInvestment Fund to select a project and invest funds in the coming months. Dhabi Group
representative adds they wish to support the current government of Georgia by investing in the
country.
This ICCT survey is the first in a series devoted to exploring tourism and hospitality topics
important to Georgia and the development of a successful service-oriented business.
Information about upcoming hotel projects in Georgia is often difficult to obtain and even
harder to verify. The information above has been obtained from various media and other
sources and may not be completely reliable. Future ICCT survey will include “greening” of the
hospitality and tourism industries, creating master plans, marketing plans, promotional and
educational materials and programs. Turn to these ICCT survey when it’s time to develop
materials for your hospitality and tourism business.
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Chapter 11. New Technologies and Their Effect on the Modern Promotion
of the Rural and Cultural Tourism Opportunities in Georgia
Georgia, located in the Caucasus region of Eurasia is situated at an important crossroad where
Europe meets Asia. Georgia has a beautiful mix of rural charm and city modernity.
With sublime old churches, ancient watchtowers and fairytale castles, having magnificent
mountain sceneries, Georgia can be named one of the most beautiful countries on earth. After
much internal strife and economic stagnation, Georgia entered a new era and is now developing
its tourism potential, making the best of its attractions and luring more and more visitors.
Georgia’s new approach involves appealing accommodation, high-quality services for all
budgets and the opportunity to explore every corner of the country.
The head of tourism department of Georgia, Giorgi Chogovadze says that they intend to
promote Georgia’s tourism potential on existing and new markets. In 2015 it is planned to carry
out a marketing campaign in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, and Russia, which are our main
tourist partners as well as in Hungary, Israel, the Baltic States, Belarus, Ukraine, Poland, and
Kazakhstan.
These are data for 2014, obtained from the Georgian National Tourism Administration:
• Number of international travelers: 5 059 832
• The same period last year: 4 999 675
• Increase over the same period last year: 1.2%
• Top 5 countries by the number of arrivals:
Turkey (1 338 397), Armenia (1 177 071), Azerbaijan (1 172 461), Russia (759 239).
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Fig.1. Top Countries by Arrivals
It should be noted that the new visa regulations did not affect the countries supplying the
largest number of tourists – it’s basically the neighboring and the EU countries. According to
data for 11 months in 2014, neighboring countries accounted for 88% of revenues derived from
tourists, and the EU citizens - 4%. Overall, 92% of tourists are from the countries with which
visa-free travel is maintained even after the introduction of regulations.
However, visa regulations undoubtedly affected the flow of tourists from certain countries. On
this basis, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is currently working on the introduction of electronic
visas, which will give the opportunity to fill the application and get a visa in electronic form.
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Fig.1. International Arrivals
It is also important that with the support of the state and the World Bank infrastructure and
utility rehabilitation has already begun in the two regions of eastern Georgia which have great
prospects in terms of tourism development.
In terms of innovation, the most important steps will be aimed at studying the resort potential
of various regions of the country. Both state structures of Georgia and foreign experts will be
actively involved in it. We are going to interest both local and foreign investors to invest in the
construction of hotels and resorts.
We also intend to introduce traditions associated with winemaking, which are one of the main
priorities in terms of attracting tourists. We should also increase the interest in Georgia in terms
of medical tourism and for this a correct positioning of this trend both within the country and
abroad is needed.
Due to various factors, Georgia has a great potential in business tourism, in particular, in
holding various conferences and certain steps are planned in this direction in 2015.
We also intend to intensify the ad campaign in social networks – this is very important
considering the role of the Internet in our time.
New technologies have gone a long way in influencing growth and development in the tourism
sector in very many ways. This is supported by the fact that the expectations of tourists have
grown amicably as they expect to get better and well based services. The main goal of the
introduction of technology in tourism is to improve service delivery and consequently be able
to provide tourists with value for their hard earned cash.
Continuous changes and different ways of doing business have presented us with the urgent
need to innovate.
And in this age of technology in which we live, the international tourism industry is rapidly
adopting a third "T": "Travel, Tourism and Technology." This is rapidly becoming an era in
which technology will serve the needs of travellers, companies and destinations. Thus, we must
continue to work on incorporating new technologies in our day management of tourism
businesses and destinations; it’s clear that there’s no turning back. Technologies that help us to
improve the operations of our facilities and destinations, allow us to better understand and
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manage our clients (before, during and after their stay), also allow us to understand our
competition better.
Technology is the foremost management tool for successful performance and competitive
advantage in the new business operating environment. Great are the technological influences
on the tourism field:
1. Database management systems allow response to individual preferences to stimulate tourism
2. New technologies give tourists more control over how they spend their time and money
3. New technology is improving the speed and comfort and reducing the real cost of travel
4. All aspects of tourism and hospitality organizations in all sectors are being dramatically
changed by new technology
5. The tourism industry generally has not taken an active role in developing or adapting new
technology
6. Despite the proliferation of new technology, the industry is often reluctant to adopt new
methods and tools
Thus, we should note two main areas of technological change that need a special attention.
They are: IT and Transport.
In some cases, these trends work at cross-purposes. Each trend will have varying impacts in
different regions and countries and will develop an evaluation framework of tourism and local
development policy.
The role of rural tourism as a potential economic tool is well recognized. It is estimated that
tourism in rural areas makes up 10-20% of all tourism activities and 23% of European
holidaymakers choose the countryside as a destination every year. The majority of small and
medium size enterprises (SMEs) in Georgia is in tourism and employ less than five people.
Many are comprised of two family members. Rural areas provide a special appeal to tourists
because of the mystique associated with the rural environment, its distinct culture, history, ethic
and geographic characteristics. Rural tourism is a growing sector of the world's fastest growing
tourism industry. It offers many benefits to the rural community. It can be developed locally in
partnership with other small business, local government and other agencies. Rural tourism is
less costly and easier to establish. It works well with existing rural enterprise and can generate
important secondary income on farms. While airlines and railways, with their national and
international linkages, may provide the best of public transport, and global hotel groups give
the highest standards of branded accommodation, it is very often the rural area and its
attractions that delivers the bulk of the visitors' experience and defines their perception of the
destination.
The sustainable tourism involves integration with the natural and cultural environment and
should have the following principles:
• Tourism should consider its direct impact on cultural heritage and traditional activities.
• Tourism strategies should be continuously based on the acknowledgement of traditional
activities of each local community and on its identity, culture and interests.
•
Tourism should be developed in a way that benefits local communities, strengthens the
local economy, employs local workforces and wherever ecologically sustainable, uses local
materials, local agricultural products and traditional skills. Tourism activities should respect the
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ecological characteristics and capacity of the local environment in which they take place. All
efforts should be made to respect traditional lifestyle and cultures.
•
Every decision concerning the development of a
sustainable tourism should effectively improve the quality
of life of host populations and should positively affect the
cultural identity.
•
The
conservation,
protection
and
acknowledgement of our cultural heritage offer an
opportunity for co-operation. Such an approach implies
that all responsible participants must accept the challenge
to innovate both within the professional and cultural
domains. Moreover, they must commit themselves to
creating integrated planning and management tools.
Sustainable tourism in rural areas directly related to that
area’s ability should express its environmental diversity, architectural coherence, social and
cultural richness, and local heritage. Thus, sustainable tourism is linked to natural ecosystems
and to the particular aspects which characterize local communities – expressed in artistic
heritage, craftsmanship, gastronomic traditions and, more generally, the ‘local culture’.
Partnerships, collaboration and networking strategies
While back-linkages are important for local embedding, partnership and collaboration now
represent the conventional wisdom for establishing and sustaining necessary vertical and
horizontal linkages across and between localities and development sectors. The growing
emphasis on partnership arrangements in tourism development is closely related to recent
management and policy theory as well as to changes in the nature of the state. Government
tourism organizations, local governments and economic development agencies are encouraged
to engage in a greater range of partnerships, networks and collaborative relationships with
stakeholders, including each other. Strategic planning now places substantial emphasis on
relations with stakeholders while the emergence of theories of collaboration and network
development highlights the importance of the links to be made between stakeholders in
processes of mediation, promotion and regional development.
However, one of the most significant aspects of networks is that not only do they represent
flows of cooperation information, e.g. research and promotion, but, from a tourism perspective,
they may also represent flows of tourists on the ground. The economic and social
characteristics of networks may parallel the flow of goods and services including tourists.
Communicative relationships therefore affect business, community, economic, social and
political relationships and need to be much better understood in the process of tourism
development.
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Good Examples from Modern Promotion of the Rural and Cultural Tourism Opportunities
‘The movement of persons to cultural attractions away from their normal place of residence,
with the intention to gather new information and experiences to satisfy their cultural needs’
(Richards, 1996).
The tourism segment that most directly relates to the cultural routes is cultural tourism.
Cultural tourism essentially involves visits to cultural attractions and events by culturally
motivated people. Cultural tourism is also seen as a desirable market by many countries and
regions because it is generally high spending tourism, usually undertaken by highly educated
individuals who stimulate cultural activity in the destination. Local residents also seem to
appreciate the potential benefits of cultural tourism. The main drivers for developing culture
and tourism policies are:
• Valorizing and preserving heritage
• Economic development and employment
• Physical and economic regeneration
• Strengthening and/or diversifying tourism
• Retaining population
• Developing cultural understanding.
Georgia is rich in Cultural tourism (Cultural heritage tourism) resources, not only the big cities
but also the municipalities of regions of Western and Eastern Georgia have valuable potential
resources that together with rural tourism is inconceivable opportunity for community poverty
level reduction, migration elimination in mountainous regions and tourism products branding
and positioning within and outside country.
Georgia has always been famous for its rich heritage and ancient culture. Georgia's glorious
past and cultural diversity make a potent blend which attracts millions of tourists each year to
its heritage tourist attractions. Georgia's rich heritage is amply reflected in the various temples,
palaces, monuments, and forts that can be found everywhere in the country.
Georgia is the country of great history and culture. Near town Dmanisi, was found the
remainder of the fossil human (Homo ex gr. erectus) the age of which is approximately 1,8
million years. Nowadays this is the oldest fossil man in West Eurasia. During the Stone Age
human gradually mastered the whole territory of Georgia. Archeological excavations have
revealed cultural materials of paleolith, neolith. Hellenistic and Antic periods: castles, burial
chambers, gold and ceramic unique artifact. All this confirms the close relationship of Georgia
with Greek-Roman as well as Iranian and Asian countries.
In 330 Orthodox Christianity was announced a state religion in Georgia. Since then Christian
culture is beginning to flourish in Georgia. The Christian religion influences the whole culture
of the middle ages. During the middle ages thousand of churches, cathedrals and monasteries
were build in Georgia.
As it is known the historical and cultural heritage is best preserved in the museums. That's why,
to prove everything about the past of our country, we recommend you to visit museums in
Tbilisi.
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Museums
The Giorgi Chitaia Open Air Museum of Ethnography
The Open Air Museum of Ethnography is located 3 km south-west from Tbilisi at the Turtle
Lake. It was founded in 1960. As of today, one of the most visited museums in Georgia
includes a collection exceeding a hundred exhibits. However, the uniqueness of this museum is
that the entire exhibition of the museum represents a kind of a Georgian village where every
house and every estate are a reflection of the different eras of Georgian history.
The open air museum is impressive in its beauty and diversity. You can walk for hours,
studying the Georgian everyday life of all the eras and regions.
Besides the houses, their interior decoration is also of a particular interest. Inside them, you can
see household items and furniture, traditional clothing, embroidery, various home decorations
specific to each region. Of huge interest are collections of weapons, the Georgians were famous
for in the Middle Ages: knives, swords and daggers, plain and gem-incrusted, sine qua non for
any Georgian man.
In addition to the houses, the museum also displays other home facilities: forges, stables, wine
cellars, "Merani", barns, cow houses and many other household items. The museum also
represents carpets and handmade tapestries, which were exhibited in Paris and received a wide
recognition.
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Georgian State Museum of Folk and Applied Art description
The museum houses collections of XIX-XX c.c. craft works from Georgia, as well as objects,
mage by other Caucasian nations. In the museum are displayed gold
and silver items, also objects – adornments, belts, weapons, household
objects; there are also collections of Caucasian rugs and carpets, silk,
leather, heavy cloth, felt objects, Khevsuretian (East Georgia,
mountainous region) clothes, embroidery samples, tapestry; collection
of local musical instruments; collections of folk craft objects. In the
museum are stored works of Latvian artist Yuli Straume (1874-1970)
the rich collection of drawings based on the Caucasian ethnographic material–ornament
patterns, sketches, etc.
Tbilisi Archaeological Museum
The museum was established in 1988 by the well-known
Georgian archaeologist, head of the Tbilisi archaeological
expedition, Rostom Abramishvili (1924-1996). The
museum houses monuments, discovered by the
archaeological excavations in Tbilisi. The chronological
frames of the collections are from the V c. B.C. up to the
feudal times. In the museum is kept the earliest in the
world samples of tinned bronze objects from the Delisi
(Tbilisi district) dwelling, dated as 4.000 years old; bronze
buckle inlayed with silver decorated with horse rider image; inventory of the Treli royal burials
(XII-VIII-VII c.c. B.C.).
Simon Janashia State National Museum of Georgia
Museum operates as a scientific-educational institution
that preserves and exhibits a unique collection of natural
and human history. The collections of the S. Janashia
Museum cover the history of the country, starting from
animal remains dated back to 40 million years. One of the
most amazing artifacts at the museum is the prehistoric
human remains found in Dmanisi. One of the most
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important collections of Museum is the Collection of Treasures that contains a big number of
unique objects from different historical periods (from the second half of the III millennium BC
through XIX century AD). The collection features gold and silver artifacts and jewelry from
the pre-Christian period from Kakheti (East Georgia), Vani (West Georgia), Mtskheta, Trialeti
Kurgans, Zhinvali, Akhalgori, Martkopi, etc. S. Janashia Museum of Georgia has: Department
of Archeology of the Middle Ages, Department of Ethnography, Department of Geology,
Department of History, Numismatic Department, Department of Zoology.
Kutaisi State Historical-Ethnographical Museum named N. Berdzenishvili (Academician of
Georgian Academy of Science) was founded under the auspices of Georgian public figures in
1912. The total amount of the exponents is 150 thousand.
Here are the materials of II-I millennium B.C.
Especially we should mention Colchis clasps and
axes made of bronze and unique bronze statue
made in VIII c. B.C. Archeological division of the
museum is rich with the material belonging to
antique and Hellenistic epoch. Kutaisi state
museum is famous of its exponents of goldsmiths’
art. These exponents are golden icons, crosses and
small statues. These exponents are chronologically
dated V-XVIII cc. A.C. and they are collected
from various Georgian churches and Monasteries, the icons and crosses have inscriptions
which give us the details about their history.
Kutaisi state Historical-Ethnographic Museum is one of the most important cultural centers in
Georgia.
SVANETI HISTORY AND ETHNOGRAPHY MUSEUM, MESTIA, GEORGIA
The museum is Tbilisi National History Museum branch and consists
of three departments located in three buildings: the exhibition hall (in
the village of Ushguli), the central building and an estate house with a
tower of the XII century.
Svaneti Historic and Ethnography Museum was founded in 1936
and houses historic artifacts from the Svaneti region; engraved art and
unique icons; rich collection of manuscripts, medieval weaponry,
iron, silver and copper ornaments; jewelry, pottery and collection of
textile items; ethnographic artifacts depicting ancient life in Svaneti and etc.
Museum of Michael Khergiani. The ground floor of the museum houses personal items of
the famous alpinist – Merited Master of Sport Michael Khergiani (1932-1969). Among the
collection, you will find climbing equipment, clothing, photos, awards, gifts – including music
records of Vladimir Vysotsky and a song which he dedicated to Khergiani, and many more
items.
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Most of the treasures of Svaneti are collected in the
Historic and Ethnographic Museum of Mestia, which
was founded in 1936 on the basis of the collections of
the Church of Saint George, in Seti. Among the museum
exhibits, highlights include icons from the Middle Ages
and ancestral artifacts from the noble family
Dadeshkeliani dating back to the Middle Ages.
Here there is also the Svan Estate Museum.
It impresses much not only because of the
well-preserved interiors of the XII century,
but of the rich collection of old household
utensils.
On the whole in 2009-2010 about 3
thousands of exhibits were restored, the
museum fund was repaired, the modern
storage control equipment was installed, a
laboratory of the exhibit conservation was
created – unique in the South Caucasus.
Signagi National Museum
Signagi Museum was established in 2007. Signagi
Museum exhibits Archeology, Ethnography and
Medieval expositions. Signagi Museum features diverse
ethnographic material: musical instruments, weapons,
vestments and items reflecting the lifestyle of this town.
Medieval exposition features samples of the 4th-18th cc.
city life from the settlements of eastern Iberia such as
Beri, Rustavi, Khoranta, Nekresi, Khornabuji, Gavazi,
Areshi, Gremi, and Bazari.Special place at the Medieval
exposition is granted to archeological finds from David
Gareja monastic complex. Signagi Museum exhibits 16
paintings by Niko Pirosmanashvili. Pirosmani was born in Kakheti’s village of Mirzaani,
therefore early period of his artistic career is affiliated with Kakheti.
Samtskhe-Javakheti Historical Museum
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The museum is situated on the territory of former Rabati. Museum houses the significant part
of the region cultural heritage: old manuscripts, epigraphic, archaeology, numismatic,
ethnography materials, photo documentation, fund of manuscripts and old printed books.
Collections of inscriptions on stone are of special importance, as well as unique collection of
carpets and rugs (of the verge of XIX-XX c.c.). Apart from two main buildings that display
permanent exhibitions – the Castle that surrounds it, Administrative building, Mosque built in
1752, Ruins of a medrasa (Islamic school) – belonged to the Museum.
Proposals for Common Rural and Cultural Tourism Destinations in Black Sea Basin
1. Please, present some proposals for rural or cultural places that could be integrated in one
common Cultural or Rural Black Sea Basin Destination created by the project?
2. Please, explain the main characteristics of this destination: the point of start and end of the
destination, the main places that it includes, services that could be received by the tourists
during their visits there – accommodation, gastronomic, etc.
3. Please, explain how this selected destination could be integrated in one common destination
created by the project partners?
Georgia is a country with the spectacular views. Since ancient times – peaks of the Caucasus
and Black Sea coast charms visitors with its breathtaking landscapes, ancient culture and
interesting history. In Georgia have been crossed the eastern and western civilization. Georgia
has an ancient alphabet. It is one of the fourteen scripts around the world. The history has
preserved the fact that Georgia was visited by the Argonauts, Marco Polo and many other
famous travelers. Territory was crossed by the famous Silk Road. Georgia is the oldest wine
region in the world.
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Georgia is the country with great potential for the development of tourism. One can hardly find
many places in the whole world that may hold such diverse landscapes within such a small area
(69, 7 thousand sq km) – from humid subtropics (in western Georgia) and semi deserts (in
eastern part of the country) to perennial snows and glaciers of high mountains. It is remarkable
that Georgia is rich both in natural and anthropological recreational resources and it is the best
basis for development of different types of tourism, such as cultural, adventure, MICE,
medical, gastronomical, ecological, rural, mountaineering, rafting, walking and trekking,
caving and skiing as well.
Racha
Spend your holidays in Utsera
Racha is a special, completely unspoiled and
beautiful place high in the mountains, boasting a
landscape of mountain forests and high alpine
meadows. The lowlands are covered with forests of
beech, pine and spruce trees.
For visitors to the region, Racha is a giant outdoor
playground. With raging rivers, the region is popular
with anglers and rafters, as well as mountain bikers
and Para gliders. The source of the mighty Rioni
River is full of trout and is a haven for fishing, whitewater rafting and kayaking. But Racha
also contains some remarkable cultural treasures, with churches and monasteries dating back to
the Middle Ages. No visit to Racha would be complete without sampling the local delicacies.
The smoked ham of the region, “Lori”, is famous throughout Georgia and Racha’s most
precious export is its rich red wine, Khvanchkara, said to be Stalin’s favorite. This fruity red
grows in only one tiny village, making it highly precious, and as it does not travel well, it really
has to be tasted close to home.
Let's travel to Racha
Racha (also Račha, Georgian: რაჭა, Račʼa) is a highland area in western Georgia, located in
the upper Rioni river valley and hemmed in by the Greater Caucasus mountains. Under
Georgia’s current subdivision, Racha is included in the Racha-Lechkhumi and KvemoSvaneti
region (mkhare) as the municipalities of Oni and Ambrolauri.
Racha occupies 2,854 km2 in the north-eastern corner of western Georgia. Spurs of the Greater
Caucasus crest separates Racha from the Georgian historical regions of Svaneti and Lechkhumi
on the north-west and from Imereti on the south, while the main Caucasus ridge forms a
boundary with Russia’s North Ossetia. On the east, Racha is bordered by breakaway South
Ossetia, officially part of Georgia’s ShidaKartli region.
Racha had been part of Colchis and Caucasian Iberia since ancient times and its main town Oni
was said to have been founded by King Parnajom of Iberia in the 2nd century BC. Upon
creation of the unified Georgian kingdom in the 11th century, Racha became one of the duchies
(saeristavo) within it. Rati of the Baghvashi family was the first duke (eristavi) appointed by
King Bagrat III. Descendants of Rati and his son Kakhaber, eponymous father of Racha’s
ruling dynasty of Kakhaberisdze, governed the province until 1278. In 1278 King David VI
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Narin abolished the duchy during his war against the Mongols. In the mid-14th century, the
duchy was restored under the rule of the Charelidze family.
The next dynasty of Chkhetidze governed Racha from 1465 to 1769. Vassals of the King of
Imereti, they revolted several times against the royal power. The 1678-1679 civil war resulted
in the most serious consequences. In this war, Duke Shoshita II of Racha (1661-1684)
supported Prince Archil, a rival of the pro-Ottoman Imeretian king Bagrat IV. On the defeat of
Archil, Racha was overrun and plundered by an Ottoman punitive force. Under Rostom (17491769), the duchy became virtually independent from Imereti. However, towards the end of
1769, King Solomon I of Imereti managed to arrest Rostom and to abolish the duchy. In 1784,
King David II of Imereti revived the duchy and gave it to his nephew Anton. Local opposition
attempted to use an Ottoman force to take control of
Racha, but the victory of King David at Skhvava
(January 26, 1786) temporarily secured his
dominance in the area. In 1789, the next Imeretian
king Solomon II finally abolished the duchy and
subordinated the province directly to the royal
administration.
Racha into a royal domain. His successor David II
restored the duchy to Rostom’s grandson and his
own sisterly nephew Anton in 1784. The rival noble
clans, especially Tsulukidze and Tsereteli, attempted
to counter the move by invoking a force of Ottoman
and Dagestan mercenaries, only to be routed by the
royal army in 1786. This restoration proved to be
short-lived and the next Imeretian king Solomon II
finally annexed the duchy in 1789 [2][3].
An old fortress in Racha in the 19th century.
The Duchy of Racha (Georgian: რაჭისსაერისთავო, rach'is saerist'avo) was an important
fiefdom in medieval and early modern Georgia, located in the western province of Racha, in
the upper Rioni Valley in the foothills of the Greater
Caucasus crest, and ruled by a succession of eristavi
("dukes"). The duchy of Racha was founded c. 1050, when a
branch of the Liparitid family, subsequently known as
Kakhaberidze, was enfeoffed of it by King Bagrat IV of
Georgia. Their possessions were further expanded under
Queen Tamar of Georgia (r. 1184-1213). The Kakhaberidze
were dispossessed of the duchy in 1278 for having revolted against David VI, but seem to have
maintained themselves in Racha into the 15th century. By that time, the duchy of Racha seems
to have been restored, under the Charelidze family, whose brief tenure was succeeded by the
Chkheidze c. 1488, when Prince Ivane Chkheidze (r. 1488-1497) was invested with Racha by
Alexander II, king of Imereti. From c. 1050 until being transferred to the royal crown in 1789.
Over time, these new masters of Racha – henceforth known as the Eristavi of Racha –
significantly expanded their possessions, confiscating estates of other noble families and even
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those belonging to the crown. They were embroiled in incessant feudal wars that plagued
Georgia at that time, frequently changing their side as they sought to achieve more autonomy
from the kings of Imereti. The powerful duke Rostom (r. 1750-1769) was able to maintain
Racha virtually independent, eventually to be defeated and removed from office by King
Solomon I of Imereti, who turned Racha into a royal domain. His successor David II restored
the duchy to Rostom’s grandson and his own sisterly nephew Anton in 1784. The rival noble
clans, especially Tsulukidze and Tsereteli, attempted to counter the move by invoking a force
of Ottoman and Dagestan mercenaries, only to be routed by the royal army in 1786. This
restoration proved to be short-lived and the next Imeretian king Solomon II finally annexed the
duchy in 1789.
Upper Racha District, West Georgia
Utsera - Located 1,050 metres above sea level, the village of Utsera is known for its mineral
water, health resort and spa. The village boasts a fine collection of medieval churches, but its
800-year-old “alley of trees” is especially worth a visit.
Resort with unique mineral waters and fresh mountain air.
Catching landscape covered with fir-tree forests, alp zones and juicy grass.
Rapid stream of River Rioni gives the opportunity for rafting and fishing.
Trackers’ friendly guides are ready to accompany and show the beauty of the place.
Hospitable hosts stand variety of Racha cuisine“: from home-made bread and cheese to wild
fowl.
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Shovi
Shovi is located in Oni, 230 km from Tbilisi, 1600m above the sea level. The nearby mountain
sides are covered mainly with coniferous woods (fir,
silver fir, pine). Climate is of the medium alpine
zone (the upper belt). Winter is moderately mild with
stable snow cover. Summer is moderately warm.
Relative air humidity is 50-60 per cent in summer
and about 70 per cent in winter. Sunshine amounts to
more than 2000 hr per annum. The air is perfectly
clean and fresh. Moderate mountain and valley
winds are typical. Besides its medium alpine climate,
the Resort also has a curative factor, mineral waters of numerous springs located in the valleys
of the Buba and Chanchakhi-Rivers. They are used as a medical drink.
Resort Shovi, established in 1926, is located 350km west from Tbilisi and 130km from Kutaisi.
It’s famous for its unique 16 types of mineral waters. Shovi is suited on 1650 meters from Sea
level and belongs to semi-alpine resorts. On the north the resort is surrounded by high
mountains of the Caucasus with an average height of 4000 meters. On the south, west and east
it is bordered by Shoda-Kedela mountain range of the Greater Caucasus mountains with a
heigh of 3,000-3600m. The highest peak is Shoda 3609 and another peak on slopes of which
our destination Udzirolake is located is Katitsvera (3300). Shovi is fully protected from
northern winds thanks to this ranges. There are many hotels to stay in Shovi, among those, for
quiet rest in a wonderful nature, you can visit 4-star hotel sunset Shovi.
From Shovi you need to follow gaps track posted below or get a local guide (total 100 gel for 2
days). You need to bring your camping gear with you. It’s possible to do this trip in one day
too if you are very experienced hiker and start as early as 5AM in the morning, but I certainly
recommend 2-day trip with camping at the lake if it’s not late September or early June when
it’s still lots of snow around. The best season is sunny days of July-August but it’s possible to
do this trip even in September and June with caution.
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Kobuleti
Kobuleti stretches along the Black Sea shore, with stony
beach. Vegetation is presented by plantation of ornamental
plant, tea and bamboo. Climate is subtropical. Summer is very
warm. One can enjoy itself with swimming and active
amusement.
Mtsvane Kontskhi (GreenCape)
It is one of the most beautiful resorts in Ajara. It is situated, 72km above the sea level, 9km
from the city of Batumi. The chief attraction of the resort is
a fabulous botanic garden. It serves as a research station for
the acclimatization and introduction into our country of new
subtropical cultures delivered here from all over the world.
The climate is subtropical with abundant warmth and
humidity. Summer is very warm.
Ureki ̶ a resort of the local status is located in Ozurgeti
municipality. It is situated on the Black Sea shore 4 km
south of the Supsa-river mouth and 20 km south of the important seaport of Georgia Poti. The
topography of the area is flat country occupying the western part of the Colchis Lowland.
Magnetic sands of Black Sea shore have already been known since the 19th century. The first
individuals who experienced the unbelievable properties of the sand were residents of the
region who were healed of various chronic diseases. In this respect, the magnetic properties of
sand curious doctors, scientists, research associations.
Black sand, which does not have any analogue on the planet, is an all-natural curative factor in
osteoarthritis, osteochondrosis, radiculitis, superficial edema and others.
The beach sand contains about 4% of magnetic iron that acts as an additional curative factor.
The sand is of dark grey color. These sands treat diseases of musculoskeletal and peripheral
bodies and cardiovascular system. The resort operates all the year round. Patients afflicted with
heart, nervous and pulmonary (of non-tubercular character) diseases undergo treatment here.
Ureku is one of the best children’s resorts as the magnetic sand is very useful to secure
children’s bones. In addition the sea at a great distance is superficial.
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Chapter 12. Sustainable Rural Tourism and Environment Preservation:
Negative and Positive Impacts
Content
1. Introduction
Welcome to Georgia
2. The impacts of tourism
3. Social and Cultural Impacts
4. Physical Impacts
5. Pollution
6. Georgia Land and Recourses
7. Protection and Preservation
8. Positive Impacts
9. Sources of ecotourism revenue
10. Regulatory Measures
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1. Introduction
Tourism is one of the biggest and fastest growing sectors in the global economy and has
significant environmental, cultural, social and economic effects, both positive and negative.
Tourism can be a major tool for economic development but, if not properly planned it can have
destructive effects on biodiversity and pristine environments, and can result in the misuse of
natural resources such as freshwater, forests and marine life. At a number of sites tourism
development has resulted in serious water shortage affecting both local communities and
industry, forests have been depleted and coral reefs have been damaged.
The adverse impact that tourism can have on the environment both undermines the basic
resource for tourism in coastal areas and heavily affects other non-tourist economic activities.
To avoid these impacts tourism needs to be planned, managed and undertaken in a way that is
environmentally sustainable, socially beneficial and economically viable.
Negative impacts from tourism occur when the level of visitor use is greater than the
environment's ability to cope with this use within acceptable limits of change. Uncontrolled
conventional tourism poses potential threats to many natural areas around the world. It can put
enormous pressure on an area and lead to impacts such as soil erosion, increased pollution,
discharges into the sea, natural habitat loss, increased pressure on endangered species and
heightened vulnerability to forest fires. It often puts as train on water resources, and it can force
local populations to compete for the use of critical resources.
Sustainable tourism development always needs to respect the environment and refer to
accepted principles of sustainability. It must be planned to make balanced use of the resources
of any site, thus avoiding negative effects, reducing visitor satisfaction, or adversely impacting
the local society, economy and culture. Sometimes it may be difficult to quantify limits, but
they are essential for sustainable tourism .Thus, if it is to maintain the main elements on which
it is based, the tourism sector needs to invest in the maintenance of the natural environment. If
properly planned, tourism can become a positive force for conservation and environmental
protection, and economic development.
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Welcome to Georgia
"Tourism is like a fire, which can prepare food for you and warm you up,
but at the same time it can burn down your house."
Jaap Lengkeek
Tourism constitutes a multidimensional phenomenon, which has followed the evolution of
man. Nowadays, it constitutes a social necessity or even a social right as this is recorded by the
increasing number of tourist. Tourism has played a determinative role in the developmental
course of many regions. The contribution of tourism to the development is marked by the fact
that a system of activities, products, production unit, enterprises and organization is involved in
the tourism net. Any form of tourism that showcases the rural life, art, culture and heritage at
rural location, thereby benefiting the local community economically and socially as well as
enabling interaction between the tourists and the locals for a more enriching tourism experience
be termed as rural tourism. It is multifaceted and may entail agro-tourism, cultural tourism,
nature tourism, adventure tourism, and eco-tourism. Rural tourism is a mild form a sustainable
tourism development and multi-activity in the rural region. It is a range of activities, services
and amenities provided by farmers and rural people to attract tourist to their areas in order to
generate extra income for their economic activity. The rural region occupies a largely extended
part of the world and they are characterized as vital for economic growth and social cohesion.
Agriculture represent activity which occupy large field of land and primary role in the
managing of the rich natural resources and in the formation of the landscape in the rural region,
where they constitute an essential part of the natural environment and cultural heritage. Rural
development is a crucial tool for the redevelopment of the agricultural sector and the promotion
of differentiation and innovation in the rural region. Economic development is a process of
economic transition that involves the structural transformation of a economic and a growth of a
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real output of an economy over a period of time. The potential of tourism to contribute to
development is widely recognized in the industrialized countries, with tourism playing an
increasingly important role and receiving government support. Tourism emerges as global
phenomena in 1960s and the potential for tourism to generate economic development was
widely promoted by national government. They appreciated that tourism generated foreign
exchange earnings, created employment and brought economic benefits to the region with
limited options for alternative economic development. Tourism development focuses on
national and regional master planning.
Rural tourism has become one of the most popular types of tourism during the recent five years
in Georgia. However, the poor infrastructure, the strong interest tourists show in protected
areas, sensitive biotypes and particular nature attractions and species, can in long-term,
negatively affect the mentioned natural values. The analysis of the situation in rural tourism
sector reveals a number of significant problems calling for solution.
One of the main goals of this project is to assess the impact of tourism with all its trends and
especially rural tourism in the preservation of the environment. On this basis, we offer an
overview of our observations on the state of the environment and its dependence on the degree
of development of tourism.
The specific objectives were the followings
a. To see the positive and negative impact of tourism on environment.
b. To develop a model to minimize the negative impact of tourism on environment.
c. To determine the direct impact of tourist activities in the respective tourism areas.
2. The impacts of tourism (Positive and Negative) can be categorized into:
2.1. Economic impact
Tourism can bring many economic and social benefits, particularly in rural areas and
developing countries, but mass tourism is also associated with negative effects. Tourism can
only be sustainable if it is carefully managed so that potential negative effects on the host
community and the environment are not permitted to outweigh the financial benefits.
2.1.1 Economic Effects ̶ Positive
Tourism creates jobs, both through direct employment within the tourism industry and
indirectly in sectors such as retail and transportation. When these people spend their wages on
goods and services, it leads to what is known as the "multiplier effect," creating more jobs. The
tourism industry also provides opportunities for small-scale business enterprises, which is
especially important in rural communities, and generates extra tax revenues, such as airport and
hotel taxes, which can be used for schools, housing and hospitals.
2.1.2 Economic Effects ̶ Negative
Successful tourism relies on establishing a basic infrastructure, such as roads, visitor centers
and hotels. The cost of this usually falls on the government, so it has to come out of tax
revenues. Jobs created by tourism are often seasonal and poorly paid, yet tourism can push up
local property prices and the cost of goods and services. Money generated by tourism does not
always benefit the local community, as some of it leaks out to huge international companies,
such as hotel chains. Destinations dependent on tourism can be adversely affected by events
such as terrorism, natural disasters and economic recession.
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2.2. Environmental impact
2.2.1. The environmental impact of ecotourism
Environmental impacts of tourism in sensitive natural areas can be classified using the
following main categories:
 Visitor activities in the destination areas and associated infrastructure (trails, interpretation
signs, shelters and picnic areas, etc.);
 Transportation and access to the destination (roads, vehicles, parking);
 Activity of service providers (guides, drivers, porters, guesthouse owners);
 Accommodation, catering and associated infrastructure (construction and operation, waste,
sewage, water sources, energy supply, waste disposal);
 Indirectly induced developments (immigration/migration of labor, vendors, increase of
resource consumption).
2.2.2. Environmental Effects ̶ Positive
Tourism -- particularly nature and ecotourism -- helps promote conservation of wildlife and
natural resources such as rain forests, as these are now regarded as tourism assets. It also helps
generate funding for maintaining animal preserves and marine parks through entrance charges
and guide fees. By creating alternative sources of employment, tourism reduces problems such
as over-fishing and deforestation in developing nations.
2.2.3. Environmental Effects ̶ Negative
Tourism poses a threat to a region's natural and cultural resources, such as water supply,
beaches, coral reefs and heritage sites, through overuse. It also causes increased pollution
through traffic emissions, littering, increased sewage production and noise.
The quality of the environment, both natural and man-made, is essential to tourism. However,
tourism's relationship with the environment is complex. It involves many activities that can
have adverse environmental effects. Many of these impacts are linked with the construction of
general infrastructure such as roads and airports, and of tourism facilities, including resorts,
hotels, restaurants, shops, golf courses and marinas. The negative impacts of tourism
development can gradually destroy the environmental resources on which it depends.
On the other hand, tourism has the potential to create beneficial effects on the environment by
contributing to environmental protection and conservation. It is a way to raise awareness of
environmental values and it can serve as a tool to finance protection of natural areas and
increase their economic importance.
These direct and indirect effects need to be considered at the planning stage. Tourism facilities
and associated infrastructure have a huge impact on the environment, and an Environmental
Impact Assessment (EIA) needs to be carried out before construction begins of any large or
medium sized facility. Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) or EIA should be applied
both to overall tourism policy and specific tourism development programmes, particularly but
not restricted to environmentally sensitive zones. Such EIAs should take on board policy
mechanisms for re-consideration of tourism development targets if its environmental impact is
in fundamental conflict with conservation objectives.
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2.3 Loss of Biological Diversity
Biological diversity is the term given to the variety of life on Earth and the natural patterns it
forms.
The effects of loss of biodiversity:
•
It threatens our food supplies, opportunities for recreation and tourism, and sources of
wood, medicines and energy.
•
It interferes with essential ecological functions such as species balance, soil formation, and
greenhouse gas absorption.
•
It reduces the productivity of ecosystems, thereby shrinking nature's basket of goods and
services, from which we constantly draw.
•
It destabilizes ecosystems and weakens their ability to deal with natural disasters such as
floods, droughts, and hurricanes, and with human-caused stresses, such as pollution and
climate change.
Tourism, especially nature tourism, is closely linked to biodiversity and the attractions created
by a rich and varied environment. It can also cause loss of biodiversity when land and
resources are strained by excessive use, and when impacts on vegetation, wildlife, mountain,
marine and coastal environments and water resources exceed the carrying capacity. This loss of
biodiversity in fact means loss of tourism potential.
2.4 Depletion of the Ozone Layer
The ozone layer, which is situated in the upper atmosphere (or stratosphere) at an altitude of
12-50 kilometers, protects life on earth by absorbing the harmful wavelengths of the sun's
ultraviolet (UV) radiation, which in high doses is dangerous to humans and animals. For
instance, one of the reasons scientists have put forward for the global decrease of amphibian
populations is increased exposure to UV radiation.
Ozone depleting substances (ODSs) such as CFCs (chlorofluorocarbon) and halons have
contributed to the destruction of this layer. The tourism industry may be part of the problem;
direct impacts start with the construction of new developments and continue during daily
management and operations. Refrigerators, air conditioners and propellants in aerosol spray
cans, amongst others, contain ODSs and are widely used in the hotel and tourism industry.
2.5 Climate Change
Climate scientists now generally agree that the Earth's surface temperatures have risen steadily
in recent years because of an increase in the so-called greenhouse gases in the atmosphere,
which trap heat from the sun. One of the most significant of these gases is carbon dioxide
(CO2), which is generated when fossil fuels, such as coal, oil and natural gas are burned (e.g. in
industry, electricity generation, and automobiles) and when there are changes in land use, such
as deforestation. In the long run, the accumulation of CO2 and other greenhouse gases in the
atmosphere can cause global climate change - a process that may already be occurring.
Global tourism is closely linked to climate change. Tourism involves the movement of people
from their homes to other destinations and accounts for about 50% of traffic movements;
rapidly expanding air traffic contributes about 2.5% of the production of CO2. Tourism is thus
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a significant contributor to the increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases in the
atmosphere. (Source: Mountain Forum)
Air travel itself is a major contributor to the greenhouse effect. Passenger jets are the fastest
growing source of greenhouse gas emissions. The number of international travelers is expected
to increase from 594 million in 1996 to 1.6 billion by 2020, adding greatly to the problem
unless steps are taken to reduce emissions. (Source: WWF) For more information on the
relationship between energy and the environment, see UNEP's Energy Programme, which
provides information and publications on energy efficiency and alternative energy sources to
reduce the environmental impacts of energy use and of transportation.
3. Social and Cultural Impacts
3.1 Social Effects -- Positive
The improvements to infrastructure and new leisure amenities that result from tourism also
benefit the local community. Tourism encourages the preservation of traditional customs,
handicrafts and festivals that might otherwise have been allowed to wane, and it creates civic
pride. Interchanges between hosts and guests create a better cultural understanding and can also
help raise global awareness of issues such as poverty and human rights abuses.
3.2 Social Effects -- Negative
Visitor behavior can have a detrimental effect on the quality of life of the host community. For
example, crowding and congestion, drugs and alcohol problems, prostitution and increased
crime levels can occur. Tourism can even infringe on human rights, with locals being displaced
from their land to make way for new hotels or barred from beaches. Interaction with tourists
can also lead to an erosion of traditional cultures and values.
3.3 Negative Socio-Cultural Impacts From Tourism
Change or loss of indigenous identity and values
Tourism can cause change or loss of local identity and values, brought about by several closely
related influences:

Commodification
Tourism can turn local cultures into commodities when religious rituals, traditional ethnic
rites and festivals are reduced and sanitized to conform to tourist expectations, resulting in
what has been called "reconstructed ethnicity." Once a destination is sold as a tourism
product, and the tourism demand for souvenirs, arts, entertainment and other commodities
begins to exert influence, basic changes in human values may occur. Sacred sites and
objects may not be respected when they are perceived as goods to trade.

Standardization
Destinations risk standardization in the process of satisfying tourists' desires for familiar
facilities. While landscape, accommodation, food and drinks, etc., must meet the tourists'
desire for the new and unfamiliar, they must at the same time not be too new or strange
because few tourists are actually looking for completely new things. Tourists often look for
recognizable facilities in an unfamiliar environment, like well-known fast-food restaurants
and hotel chains.
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
Loss of authenticity and staged authenticity
Adapting cultural expressions and manifestations to the tastes of tourists or even
performing shows as if they were "real life" constitutes "staged authenticity". As long as
tourists just want a glimpse of the local atmosphere, a quick glance at local life, without any
knowledge or even interest, staging will be inevitable.

Adaptation to tourist demands
Tourists want souvenirs, arts, crafts, and cultural manifestations, and in many tourist
destinations, craftsmen have responded to the growing demand, and have made changes in
design of their products to bring them more in line with the new customers' tastes. While
the interest shown by tourists also contributes to the sense of self-worth of the artists, and
helps conserve a cultural tradition, cultural erosion may occur due to the commodification
of cultural goods.

Culture clashes
Because tourism involves movement of people to different geographical locations, and
establishment of social relations between people who would otherwise not meet, cultural
clashes can take place as a result of differences in cultures, ethnic and religious groups,
values and lifestyles, languages, and levels of prosperity.
The result can be an overexploitation of the social carrying capacity (limits of acceptable
change in the social system inside or around the destination) and cultural carrying capacity
(limits of acceptable change in the culture of the host population) of the local community.
The attitude of local residents towards tourism development may unfold through the stages
of euphoria, where visitors are very welcome, through apathy, irritation and potentially
antagonism, when anti-tourist attitudes begin growing among local people.
Cultural clashes may further arise through:

Economic inequality
Many tourists come from societies with different consumption patterns and lifestyles than
what is current at the destination, seeking pleasure, spending large amounts of money and
sometimes behaving in ways that even they would not accept at home. One effect is that
local people that come in contact with these tourists may develop a sort of copying
behavior, as they want to live and behave in the same way. Especially in less developed
countries, there is likely to be a growing distinction between the 'haves' and 'have-nots',
which may increase social and sometimes ethnic tensions.
4. Physical Impacts
Attractive landscape sites, such as sandy beaches, lakes, riversides, and mountaintops and
slopes, are often transitional zones, characterized by species-rich ecosystems. Typical physical
impacts include the degradation of such ecosystems. An ecosystem is a geographic area
including all the living organisms (people, plants, animals, and microorganisms), their physical
surroundings (such as soil, water, and air), and the natural cycles that sustain them. The
ecosystems most threatened with degradation are ecologically fragile areas such as alpine
regions, rain forests, wetlands, mangroves, coral reefs and sea grass beds. Threats to and
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pressures on these ecosystems are often severe because such places are very attractive to both
tourists and developers.
Physical impacts are caused not only by tourism-related land clearing and construction, but by
continuing tourist activities and long-term changes in local economies and ecologies.
4.1. Physical Impacts of Tourism Development
Construction activities and infrastructure development:
The development of tourism facilities such as accommodation, water supplies, restaurants and
recreation facilities can involve sand mining, beach and sand erosion, soil erosion and
extensive paving. In addition, road and airport construction can lead to land degradation and
loss of wildlife habitats and deterioration of scenery.
Deforestation and intensified or unsustainable use of land: Construction of ski resort
accommodation and facilities frequently requires clearing forested land. Coastal wetlands are
often drained and filled due to lack of more suitable sites for construction of tourism facilities
and infrastructure. These activities can cause severe disturbance and erosion of the local
ecosystem, even destruction in the long term.
4.2 Physical Impacts from Tourist Activities
Trampling: Tourists using the same trail over and over again trample the vegetation and soil,
eventually causing damage that can lead to loss of biodiversity and other impacts. Such damage
can be even more extensive when visitors frequently stray off established trails.
Trampling impacts on vegetation Trampling impacts on soil
 Breakage and bruising of stems Loss of organic matter
 Reduced plant vigor Reduction in soil macro porosity
 Reduced regeneration Decrease in air and water permeability
 Loss of ground cover Increase in run off
 Change in species composition Accelerated erosion
(Source: www.unepie.org/tourism/).
Table 1. Negative impacts of human use on the environment
Trail creation
(and deterioration)
Camp-sites
(and deterioration)
Litter
Crowding
Tracks and recreation vehicles
Pack stock impacts
Human waste problems
Wildlife disturbance,
habituation, or impact
User conflicts
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Boats damaging banks
Habitat loss
Emissions and air pollution
Firewood collection
Visual and noise impacts
Overfishing, undersized fishing
Impacts on vegetation
Damage to sand dunes/reefs
Soil compaction or erosion
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Water pollution
(physical or biological)
Overdevelopment
Weeds, fungi and exotic species
Solid and human waste
Cultural vandalism
Increased fire risk
Damage to archaeological sites
Trampling (human or horse)
Changed water courses
Taking souvenirs (flora, fauna, etc)
4.3 Physical influences causing social stress
The physical influences that the increasing tourism flows, and its consequent developments,
have on a destination can cause severe social stress as it impacts the local community. Sociocultural disadvantages evolve from:

Resource use conflicts, such as competition between tourism and local populations for the use
of prime resources like water and energy because of scarce supply. Stress to local communities
can also result from environmental degradation and increased infrastructure costs for the local
community - for example, higher taxes to pay for improvements to the water supply or
sanitation facilities.

Cultural deterioration. Damage to cultural resources may arise from vandalism, littering,
pilferage and illegal removal of cultural heritage items. A common problem at archaeological
sites in countries such as Egypt, Colombia, Mexico and Peru is that poorly paid guards
supplement their income by selling artifacts to tourists. Furthermore, degradation of cultural
sites may occur when historic sites and buildings are unprotected and the traditionally built
environment is replaced or virtually disappears.

Conflicts with traditional land-uses, especially in intensely exploited areas such as coastal
zones, which are popular for their beaches and islands. Conflicts arise when the choice has to
be made between development of the land for tourist facilities or infrastructure and local
traditional land use. The indigenous population of such destinations is frequently the loser in
the contest for these resources as the economic value which tourism brings often counts for
more.
As an example of how local people can suffer from tourism development, in coastal areas
construction of shoreline hotels and tourist faculties often cuts off access for the locals to
traditional fishing ground and even recreational use of the areas.
5. Pollution
Tourism can cause the same forms of pollution as any other industry: air emissions, noise, solid
waste and littering, releases of sewage, oil and chemicals, even architectural or visual pollution.
5.1 Air pollution and noise
Transport by air, road, and rail is continuously increasing in response to the rising numbe
reported that the number of international air passengers worldwide rose from 88 million in
1972 to 344 million in 1994. One consequence of this increase in air transport is that tourism
now accounts for more than 60% of air travel and is therefore responsible for an important
share of air emissions. One study estimated that a single transatlantic return flight emits almost
half the CO2 emissions produced by all other sources (lighting, heating, car use, etc.) consumed
by an average person yearly Source: MFOE ). Transport emissions and emissions from energy
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production and use are linked to acid rain, global warming and photochemical pollution. Air
pollution from tourist transportation has impacts on the global level, especially from carbon
dioxide (CO2) emissions related to transportation energy use. And it can contribute to severe
local air pollution. Some of these impacts are quite specific to tourist activities. For example,
especially in very hot or cold countries, tour buses often leave their motors running for hours
while the tourists go out for an excursion because they want to return to a comfortably airconditioned bus.
Noise pollution from airplanes, cars, and buses, as well as recreational vehicles such as
snowmobiles and jet skis, is an ever-growing problem of modern life. In addition to causing
annoyance, stress, and even hearing loss for it humans, it causes distress to wildlife, especially
in sensitive areas. For instance, noise generated by snowmobiles can cause animals to alter
their natural activity patterns.
5.2 Solid Waste and Littering
In areas with high concentrations of tourist activities and appealing natural attractions, waste
disposal is a serious problem and improper disposal can be a major despoiler of the natural
environment - rivers, scenic areas, and roadsides. For example, cruise ships in the Caribbean
are estimated to produce more than 70,000 tons of waste each year. Today some cruise lines are
actively working to reduce waste-related impacts. Solid waste and littering can degrade the
physical appearance of the water and shoreline and cause the death of marine animals. In
mountain areas, trekking tourists generate a great deal of waste. Tourists on expedition leave
behind their garbage, oxygen cylinders and even camping equipment. Such practices degrade
the environment with all the detritus typical of the developed world, in remote areas that have
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few garbage collection or disposal facilities. Some trails in the Peruvian Andes and in Nepal
frequently visited by tourists have been nicknamed "Coca-Cola trail" and "Toilet paper trail".
5.3 Sewage
Construction of hotels, recreation and other
facilities often leads to increased sewage
pollution. Wastewater has polluted seas and
lakes surrounding tourist attractions, damaging
the flora and fauna. Sewage runoff causes
serious damage to coral reefs because it
stimulates the growth of algae, which cover the
filter-feeding corals, hindering their ability to
survive. Changes in salinity and siltation can
have wide-ranging impacts on coastal
environments. And sewage pollution can
threaten the health of humans and animals.
6. Georgia Land and Recourses
Georgia covers an area of about 69,700 sq km (about 26,900 sq mi). It is situated on the east
coast of the Black Sea and bounded by Russia on the north and by Azerbaijan, Armenia, and
Turkey on the south. Rugged mountain ranges dominate Georgia's landscape, constituting
about 85 percent of the total land area. The main ridge of the Caucasus Mountains, or Greater
Caucasus, forms most of Georgia's northern border with Russia and contains the country's
highest elevations, including Mount Shkhara (5,201 m/17,064 ft), Georgia's highest peak. The
highest peak fully contained in the country is Mount Kazbek (5,037 m/16,526 ft), in the central
Greater Caucasus. Many other peaks reach heights of 4,500 m (15,000 ft) or greater. The
Lesser Caucasus Mountains occupy the southern part of the republic and rarely exceed an
elevation of 3,000 m (10,000 ft). These two mountain systems are linked by the centrally
located Surami mountain range, which
bisects the country along a northeastsouthwest axis. The Surami range
includes the Meskheti and Likhi
ranges. To the west of this range the
relief becomes much lower, and
elevations are generally less than 100
m (300 ft) along the river valleys and
the coast of the Black Sea. On the
eastern side of the Surami Range, a
high plateau known as the Kartli Plain
extends along the Kura River to the
border with Azerbaijan.
The two largest rivers in Georgia, the Kura (Mtkvari) and the Rioni, flow in opposite
directions: the Kura, which originates in Turkey, runs generally eastward through Georgia and
Azerbaijan into the Caspian Sea, while the Rioni drains into the Black Sea to the west. A delta
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region known as the Kolkheti Lowlands encompasses the lower Rioni valley as well as most of
the Georgian coast. Along with the Rioni, the Inguri and Kodori rivers flow through this fertile
region.
Georgia contains diverse plant and animal life. Land at lower elevations has been extensively
reworked for agricultural purposes and contains little of its native wildlife. The gray marmot,
ibex, and chamois, however, can be found in alpine areas, and wolves, foxes, roe deer, and
badgers populate the forests. Dense forests and brush cover more than one-third of the country,
mostly in the western and mountainous regions. In the eastern uplands, which are sparsely
wooded, underbrush and grasses predominate.
Georgia's natural resources include abundant mineral deposits, such as manganese, iron ore,
coal, gold, marble, and alabaster. The republic's many fast-flowing rivers are an important
source of hydroelectricity, and forests provide pulp and timber. Substantial but as yet
undeveloped oil deposits are located in the Black Sea shelf near the port cities of Batumi and
Poti.
Like other republics of the USSR, Georgia suffered severe environmental degradation during
the Soviet period, when economic policies emphasizing heavy industry were implemented with
little regard for their environmental consequences. As a legacy of these policies, Georgia now
suffers from serious pollution. Air pollution is a problem in the major cities, particularly in
Rustavi, which has a giant steelworks and other metallurgical industries. In addition, the Kura
River and the Black Sea are heavily polluted with industrial waste. As a result of water
pollution and the scarcity of water treatment, the incidence of digestive diseases in Georgia is
high. The use of pesticides and fertilizers has increased soil toxicity.
Environmental protection did not become a major concern among Georgians until the mid1980s, but even then systems to control harmful emissions were not readily available. Georgia's
economic problems have hindered the application of recent emission-control technologies. The
protection of upland pastures and hill farms from soil erosion is another pressing issue that the
government has not addressed owing to lack of economic resources. The government has
ratified international environmental agreements pertaining to air pollution, biodiversity, climate
change, ozone layer protection, ship pollution, and wetlands.
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6. 1. Water Resources
Georgia is rich with water resources. There are 26060 rivers and their total length is about 59
thousand kilometers. In the hydro-geographical network the important part (99%) makes the
small rivers (length-less than 25 km).
There are a lot of thermal and mineral water springs in the country. There are many natural and
mechanic water reservoirs. Important supplies of ground water are in limestone horizons on the
territory of Caucasus.
Water resources are distributed unequally and they are mainly in the west part of the country.
Georgian rivers are distributed into two main basins and they are divided by Likhi ridge. There
are about 18109 rivers are in the Black Sea basin. This is 70% of total rivers. There are 7951
rivers (30%) in the Caspian Sea basin. 555 rivers of the Black Sea basin and 528 rivers of the
Caspian Sea basin are studied hydrologically.
Nearly all rivers of East Georgia make the whole system and flows down into the Caspian Sea
and West Georgian rivers join the Black Sea independently. The biggest river of Georgia is
Mtkvari. Only its middle part (400 kilometer) is on the territory of Georgia. It begins in Turkey
and flows down in the Caspian Sea on the territory of Azerbaijan. The largest river in West
Georgia is Rioni. It covers only the territory of Georgia. It begins in Great Caucasus Mountains
goes through Kutaisi and Poti into the Black Sea.
There are about 860 lakes in Georgia. Most of them are very small so their water surface area is
about 170 km2. (It consists of 0.24% of territory if the country). Most of them are fresh waters.
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Paravani Lake has the largest area in Georgia. Tabatskuri Lake is the biggest one with its
volume and Ritsa is the deepest lake not only in Georgia but in South Caucasus too.
In Georgia wetlands cover 225 thousand ha on Kolkheti Lowlands. West Georgia is bordered
by the Black Sea and its coastal zone along Georgian border is 315 kilometer.
43 reservoirs serve to hydroelectric stations and irrigation system. 35 ones among them are in
East Georgia. Water reservoirs are very important in economics of Georgia. Nowadays in
Georgia more than 75% of electric energy is generated in hydroelectric stations. Irrigation
system has vital importance for agriculture in the East Georgia that is drier part of the country.
Natural supply of fresh ground water of the country is about 18000 million cubic meters. The
whole prognosticate and exploitation supplies are about 10600 million cubic meters.
There are a lot of ground water storage, especially on the lower slope of Great Caucasus and on
the plateau of Akhalkalaki and Marneuli. The total debit of these springs is 340 m3 in a second.
In total water supply systems provide 600 million cubic meter drinking water a year. 90% of
this drinking water is based on ground water and they do not need any special generation
besides chlorination.
Now water resource management is on the base of administrative principles in Georgia. It is
less effective following the nature of water and reality that ‘water does not know any borders'.
Administrative model cannot provide planning effective usage of water resources within river
basin on the bases of interests of water beneficiaries and also considering environmental
purposes.
Georgian rivers are mainly polluted with nitrogen or sometimes with heavy metals (River
Mashavera, Bolnisi Region; River Kvirila, near Chiatura and Zestafoni) and rivers of the Black
Sea in Adjara Regions are polluted with oil products.
The main sources of polluting surface waters in Georgia are water supply and sewerage system,
heat power engineering and industry.
Water pollutants according to the sectors are distributed as follows:
•
Water supply and sewerage system - 344, 1 million cubic meter a year (67%)
•
Heat power engineering - 163, 8 million cubic meter a year (31%)
•
Industry - 9, 6 million cubic meter a year (2%)
So the main pollutant for surface waters is communal sector (sewerage of towns and populated
areas). Now none of the water cleaning structures can provide cleaning according to project
quality. Biological cleaning of water is not available in any towns. Primary mechanic cleaning
is implemented only on Tbilisi-Rustavi regional cleaning structure. As a result, there is
important pollution on water objects.
6.2 Local resources
Tourism can create great pressure on local resources like energy, food, and other raw materials
that may already be in short supply. Greater extraction and transport of these resources
exacerbates the physical impacts associated with their exploitation. Because of the seasonal
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character of the industry, many destinations have ten times more inhabitants in the high season
as in the low season. A high demand is placed upon these resources to meet the high
expectations tourists often have (proper heating, hot water, etc.).
Almost all rural tourism establishments (97%) register total consumption of electrical power,
also the consumption of energy per guest is estimated. Still environment friendly alternative
forms of energy practically are not used.
It is estimated that Georgia has vast water resources that are not yet fully utilized in electricity
production, thus the prospects of the country's energy.
6.3 Climate change
Climate scientists now generally agree that the Earth's surface temperatures have risen steadily
in recent years because of an increase in the so-called greenhouse gases in the atmosphere,
which traphe at from the sun. One of the most significant of these gases is carbon dioxide (CO
), which is generated when fossil fuels, such as coal, oil and natural gas are burned (e.g. in
industry, electricity generation, and automobiles) and when there are changes in land use, such
as deforestation. In the long run, accumulation of CO and other greenhouse gases in the
atmosphere can cause global climate change a process that may already be occurring.
Air travel itself is a major contributor to the greenhouse effect. Passenger jets are the fastest
growing source of greenhouse gas emissions. The number of international travelers is expected
to increase from594 million in 1996 to 1.6 billion by 2020, adding greatly to the problem
unless steps are taken to reduce emissions (WWF, 1992).
7. Protection and Preservation
Sustainable Rural Tourism can significantly contribute to environmental protection,
conservation and restoration of biological diversity and sustainable use of natural resources.
Because of their attractiveness, pristine sites and natural areas are identified as valuable and the
need to keep the attraction alive can lead to creation of national parks and wildlife parks. In
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Georgia new laws and regulations have been enacted to preserve the forest and to protect native
species. The Black Sea and the marine life that depend on its cleanness (purity) for survival are
also protected. The Black Sea has become an international research object on ecological
systems, and the promotion and preservation of the Black Sea coast tourism industry was the
main motivation for these actions.
Tourism has had a positive effect on wildlife preservation and protection efforts in Georgia,
one of them is bird watching.
Bird watching - it’s watching after Birds or "birding", or amateur ornithology, which includes
the observation and study of birds with the unaided eye or through binoculars. In addition to
visual observation this activity also involves listening to birds’ singing, as many species of
birds are more easily recognized by their vocalization/ phonation.
Bird watching is often considered as a hobby, as these activities pursue more entertaining than
a scientific purpose. The most popular bird watching has become in Western Europe and North
America.
A number of birdwatchers worldwide are annually growing, and more and more tourists travel
to study birds in natural conditions of their habitats.
Most observers of the feathered travel around the world either in small groups of 6-10 people,
or individually- for example, a husband and a wife. All
the data (where, when and at what time, how many birds,
what species) are recorded in field diaries.
Bird watching or birding is the observation of birds as a
recreational activity. It can be done with the naked eye,
through a visual enhancement device like binoculars and
telescopes, or by listening for bird sounds. Birding often
involves a significant auditory component, as many bird
species are more easily detected and identified by ear
than by eye. Most birdwatchers pursue this activity mainly for recreational or social reasons,
unlike ornithologists, who engage in the study of birds using more formal scientific methods.
Thousands of small and large companies worldwide are engaged in service of birdwatchers or
real eco tourists. These people are characterized not only by a careful attitude to the birds, but
also a special approach to the nature and nature-conservative measures (environmental
protective activities). When traveling, in addition to observing the birds, they are also trying to
implement their own approach to nature at a meeting with the local population. They show and
explain to people how beneficial and profitable is to live in a pristine and primeval
environment than in an environment mired by human influence.
8. Positive impacts
Despite its many adverse impacts, tourism can have positive impacts on both natural and
artificially constructed environments, as well as on destination communities. In fact, tourism
has motivated the preservation of such sensitive ecosystems as Borjomi-Kharagaiuli National
Park. Furthermore, tourism that focuses on cultural and historic sites (sometimes referred to as
“heritage” tourism) can be the impetus for the preservation and rehabilitation of existing
historic sites, buildings, and monuments. For example, historic house in Utsera and historic
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buildings has been preserved and transformed for the purpose of tourism into one of the
ICCT branches.
Socially tourism has a great influence on the host societies. Tourism can be both a source of
international amity, peace and understanding and a destroyer and corrupter of indigenous
cultures, a source of ecological destruction, an assault of people's privacy, dignity and
authenticity.
Here are possible positive effects of tourism:
 Developing positive attitudes towards each other
 Learning about each other's culture and customs
 Reducing negative perceptions and stereotypes
 Developing friendships
 Developing pride, appreciation, understanding, respect, and tolerance for each other's
culture
 Increasing self-esteem of hosts and tourists
 Psychological satisfaction with interaction
So, social contacts between tourists and local people may result in mutual appreciation,
understanding, tolerance, awareness, learning, family bonding respect, and liking. Residents are
educated about the outside world without leaving their homes, while their visitors significantly
learn about a distinctive culture. Local communities are benefited through contribution by
tourism to the improvement of the social infrastructure like schools, libraries, health care
institutions, internet cafes, and so on. Besides, if local culture is the base for attracting tourists
to the region, it helps to preserve the local traditions and handicrafts which maybe were on the
link of the extinction.
9. Sources of ecotourism revenue
As a business, ecotourism is aimed at revenue generation. However, PAs and remote nature
areas in the South Caucasus are still gaining little from eco-tourism, with a few exceptions,
such as Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park in Georgia, where income has risen with increased
visitor numbers and better services.
Many private operators and organized tour groups oppose the increase or even the
establishment of entrance fees and other non-service charges for PAs. They argue that increases
should be accompanied by improved services and greater transparency, in terms of how the
money is spent on safeguarding the environment and enhancing the visitor experience. These
concerns need to be taken on board by PA administrations when considering entrance fee
policy. Thus, tourism can contribute directly to the conservation of sensitive areas and habitat.
Revenue from park-entrance fees and similar sources can be allocated specifically to pay for
the protection and management of environmentally sensitive areas. Special fees for park
operations or conservation activities can be collected from tourists or tour operators.
10. Regulatory Measures
Regulatory measures help offset negative impacts; for instance, controls on the number of
tourist activities and movement of visitors within protected areas can limit impacts on the
ecosystem and help maintain the integrity and vitality of the site. Such limits can also reduce
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the negative impacts on resources. Limits should be established after the analysis of the
maximum sustainable visitor capacity.
Environmental problems cannot be resolved quickly. High future remediation costs can be
avoided by making the right decisions now. Long-term goals require the successful and timely
implementation of short-term activities. Many environmental problems are inter-related and
need an integral approach.
Therefore, a comprehensive national plan is an important tool for addressing the most acute
environmental problems and setting the national agenda for cost-effective improvement of the
environment and meaningful protection of the natural resources of Georgia. This plan is the
National Environmental Action Program 2 for 2012-2016 (NEAP-2). Long-term goals, shortterm targets and respective activities are presented in NEAP-2 for eleven themes.
Many achievements have been accomplished in this regard, but there are still serious problems
and due to low environmental awareness of local population there are still many environmental
problems in various regions.
Tourism creates catastrophic effects for the environment all over the world, and this collapse
condition can extinguish regional collaboration and communication. Everybody should be
conscious about the negative impact of tourism and take the proper steps to lessen the problem
specially each government of every country and international authority in regarding of tourism
industry. Besides the abovementioned functions, sustainable rural tourism could perform other
functions such as giving small-income families the possibility of spending holidays in
ecologically clean areas, decreasing unemployment levels, popularization and use of
traditional, ecologically sustainable forms of farming and many more.
The future of Georgian rural tourism is inextricably linked to the quality of the environment.
Our scenic landscapes, coastline, rivers and lakes, and cultural heritage are the bedrock upon
which Irish tourism has been built. The economic viability and competitiveness of the Georgian
tourism industry can only be sustained if the quality of these resources is maintained. Now,
more than ever, Georgia’s tourism industry relies on strong and appropriate environmental
policies.
Let us appeal to the public by joint efforts with eco-tourists: "People! Let us take care of
Ecology to preserve the environment for future generations".
References
G. Rabbany, Sh. Afrin, 3. A. Rahman, 4. F. Islam, 5. F. Hoque. (2013). Environmental Effects of
Tourism. American Journal of Environment, Energy and Power Research Vol. 1, No. 7, pp: 117-130
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Chapter 13. Education as a guarantee for tourism development
Contents
1. Introduction
1.1 Tourism history in Georgia
1.2 About our organization
2. Education system in Georgia
2.1 Tourism Faculties in Georgian Universities
2.2 The main obstacles in Georgian Tourism education system
3. Education-tourism correlation
4. Tourism development prerequisites in Georgia
5. Conclusion
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1. Introduction
Nowadays, the tourism industry has become the most attractive direction of business.
Tourism industry with the changes over the last decade coupled with the changes in education have
seen the confluence of these two industries with learning becoming an important part of the tourist
experience and education facilitating. Therefore education is a very vital option in the development of
tourism industry.
Education is designed to guide the society in learning a culture, moulding the behavioural pattern of
the society and putting a society on the right direction. With time, society has become more attracted
with education and it also began to formulate the overall objective, content, organization and
strategies of education. In this manner, education as a district disciple came into being and it is
constantly been defined and redefined in various countries to meet the national goals and aspirations.
1.1 Tourism history in Georgia
As in many other countries tourism is one of the fastest growing economic sectors in Georgia – total
contributions accounting for 23.5% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 20.1% of total direct and
indirect employment in 2015. The sector also currently provides as much as 36.4% of total export
earnings. From adventure tourism to discovering the art of wine making, Georgia has something to
delight every visitor. Take advantage of the cheapest hill-skiing in Europe, or tour some of the finest
medieval architecture in the world, delve into ancient, subterranean cave cities, or relax at world class
beach resorts - in Georgia, everything is possible.
In 2014 at the annual meeting UNWTO Secretary General, Taleb Rafai highlighted Georgia as positive
international tourism trends and called the country the "rising star.”
A land of endless wonders and still retaining its authentic character – Georgia. Once experienced, it
will stay with you forever. Exploring Georgia is a constant pleasure. For walkers and hikers the country
is sheer heaven, while botanists and bird-watchers will be simply enthralled and archaeologists can’t
decide which of the numerous ancient findings to visit first.
With the towering Caucasus Mountains forming the border between Europe and Asia, Georgia has
long been an important contact zone. In this mystical land you will be captivated by a thrilling blend of
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eastern enigma and western elegance. The traditions of the East and West meet in Georgia to form a
culture unlike any other in the world. Today Georgia is well-known as a touristic country around the
world. It has one of the world’s richest and oldest histories.
With its favourable geographic location Georgia has always been a connecting link between Europe
and Asia, traversed by many routes including the famous Silk Road. This most important pre-modern
trade road linking China with the West diverged into northern and southern routes, the northern one
passing through Georgia. Nowadays Silk Road still starts functioning and On December 13, 2016 the
first transit train from China arrived to a station in Georgia, thus marking the opening of the “Silk
Railroad.” The train’s arrival was met with a celebratory ceremony.
Therefore shows and exhibitions, held in Georgia, are the perfect stage for presentation of advanced
goods and best services of our time as well as acquaintance with various products of local and global
manufacturers. Annually hundreds of companies from all over the world take part in various
international Georgia trade shows leading to the improvement of export and import in the region and
to the increase of production efficiency and service sector. In Georgia cities there are a lot of hotels of
various service levels, which can accommodate a great number of participants and guests of
exhibitions.
1.2 About our organization
Education and tourism development is one of main priorities of International Center for Caucasus
Tourism, ICCT, Georgia. ICCT is a non-governmental, non-for-profit organization, founded in 2007 by
the group of experts working in the spheres of sustainable rural tourism, environmental protection,
and nature conservation, vocational and adult education.
Reports and presentation dedicated to all spheres of tourism in Georgia were shared at
international conferences, seminars, workshops held in various courtiers.
many
ICCT together with our partners work for raising awareness among the people in our and also in
partner countries. Our organization often conducts educational trainings and workshops which are
aimed to give education to people for tourism development.
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3. Education system in Georgia
Georgia has been a leader in education, traditionally showing positive student learning outcomes on
par with other countries in the region.This is partly rooted in the fact that, with limited natural
resources, the country’s economy is highly dependent on its human capital. Recent years in Georgia
have marked a decline in school quality and efficiency but also some innovative education reforms
that could serve to reverse negative trends.
Georgians have very high standards and expectations for education. Governments have endeavoured
to improve the quality and efficiency of the system. To support Georgia in its ongoing efforts, the
World Bank recently carried out a comprehensive study of the country’s education system and
identified a comprehensive set of recommendations that can provide strategic direction going
forward.
The education system of Georgia has undergone sweeping modernizing, although controversial,
reforms since 2004. Education in Georgia is mandatory for all children aged 6–14. The school system is
divided into elementary (6 years; age level 6–12), basic (3 years; age level 12–15), and secondary (3
years; age level 15–18), or alternatively vocational studies (2 years). Students with a secondary school
certificate have access to higher education.
Most of these institutions offer three levels of study: a Bachelor's Program (3–4 years); a Master's
Program (2 years), and a Doctoral Program (3 years). Education system divided into following parts in
Georgia:
 Primary (Elementary School)
 Middle (Basic Education)
 Secondary (Secondary Education, Vocational Education)
 Post-secondary (Technical/Vocational Education)
 Tertiary (University Education-Bachelor, Master, Doctorate degree)
Several important education reforms have been implemented in Georgia over the past decade, leading
to improvements in transparency and efficiency in the sector.
Georgia’s prospects to compete in the global economy will largely depend on its ability to produce a
highly-skilled workforce via improved teaching and learning. There are more than 20 state higher
education institutions in Georgia and many more private ones too. All follow the traditional model of
bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees.
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Also the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia actually implement reforms for developing
vocational education in tourism. They have created special strategy for Vocational Tourism
development.The Strategy embodies the principles of inclusive education, human and child rights and
gender equality. It considers access to education and the opportunities of VET to be a right of all
segments of the population, regardless of social or economic grouping, or geographic location within
the state of Georgia.
3.1 Tourism Faculties in Georgian Universities
Tourism faculty is one of the most popular faculties in Georgia; therefore here are a lot of activities
which are organized by Georgian Universities for the promotion of this sphere.
For example one of the leading university Ilia State University offer students a lot of opportunity for
their future development. At this university there is functioning Tourism Management Centre which
conducts Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programs in Tourism Management.
In recent years, a lot of interesting projects have been implemented in this direction;
The centre has tight contacts with European universities, with whom they carry student’s exchange
programs: Vilnius University (VIKO); Poland's Adam Mickiewicz University.
In addition to Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programs, the Tourism Management Centre offers
everyone the open enrolment courses in Cultural resources and heritage tourism, Tour guiding, Hotel
and Business travel management.
Also there is functioning student’s tourism club where all students can join and implement their ideas.
"ISU Tourism Club" is the ISU Business School-based club, which is a significant contribution to student
life.
Their main goals are to:





Activate student life
Give the students theoretical knowledge and also practice opportunities
Raise Tourism importance awareness among students
Develop new innovating directions in Tourism sphere
Promote Sustainable tourism development
Another leader university which call University of Georgia (UG) offers students high quality education
and special activities for tourism development, which include outdoor studies and excursions all
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around the Georgia with qualified lecturers. They have their summer camp where students who have
desire can take part in researches and trainings.
University of Georgia (UG) often conducts conferences which are related to tourism. Beside this, they
have Tourism Geoinformation Centre which organizes tours abroad.
“Education, Work and Freedom” are the main priorities in Georgian Agricultural University. This
university gives its students appropriate knowledge and opportunity to work with well-qualified
lecturers. One of the main goals of this university is to give their students good quality education and
practice in Tourism. Therefore this university often organize field Trips and also they have special
campus where they organize meetings with tourism representatives and conduct public lectures and
conferences about tourism.
Nowadays almost every university in Georgia offers their students high quality education in every
sphere and among them Tourism is one of the leading issue.
3.2 The main obstacles in Georgian tourism education system
Today Georgian tourism education system still has obstacles which are caused by shortage of financial
resources and limited institutional capacity. When Georgia’s education system is compared with those
of the world’s leading countries, several weaknesses stand out. The way to resolve this problem is that
Georgia’s government has to propose ways to address those challenges and outlines overall directions
for a concrete action plan – which will be taken into consideration by when planning state budgets for
the coming years.
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4. Education-tourism correlation
At first glance, it is difficult to rate relationship between two important coordinates socioeconomic
measurable in any economy: tourism and education, but it is clear that this relationship is
interdependent and proportionate. Changes in the tourism industry facilitate today a type of
education, which means learning through direct experience, lifelong learning and the ability to use
theoretical procurement practice. In fact, tourism has been awarded an educational role since ancient
times by great civilizations. Thus, development of tourism contribute to the provision of tourist
destinations that tourists and provide a degree of knowledge areas, settlements, their history, positive
models of behavior, patterns of heroes, successful models, etc. The contribution of tourism to increase
awareness can be achieved by:
• Contact with new cultures, traditions and customs;
• Avoid conflicts of social / environmental
• Respect for the specificity and local traditions;
• Respect the environment by moving within protected areas;
• Teambuilding's practice;
• Attention, care, volunteering, sensitivity, respect.
Increasing number of tourists in a region increases employment, infrastructure development, the
educational offer for the preparation of specialists in this field. Thus, through summer schools, the
language courses in educational institutions abroad, in camps and trips or educational tours organizing
theme, individuals generally can strengthen knowledge, to develop practical skills and positive
attitude, creative and innovative. In some cases, tourism helps increase awareness about the value of
local heritage, encourages social involvement and pride of the host population and a resulting interest
in its preservation. On the other hand, the educational process as a result of development of society in
general, helped develop a new category of tourists made up of young students, professors, diplomats
and officials who went to "travel knowledge" of new lands and experiences. In fact, all forms of
tourism have developed the desire for knowledge and education manifested over time by various
civilizations. Tourists educated are those who create positive effects in that they are aware of the
values they encounter in their travels, participates in the development areas, without disturbing or
negative change in local life. It is worthy to mention the development of Guides Schools establishment
in many cities of Georgia. Apart from special courses the listeners are offered special curriculum of
English Language, mostly dealt with commutative skills.
5. Tourism development prerequisites in Georgia
It may be somewhat surprising; therefore, that Georgia has only recently developed a long-term
strategy for its tourism industry. For many years, the country had a vision, certainly – but not yet a
clear and well-designed strategy that it could implement and monitor.
The country’s tourism strategy was developed by the Government of Georgia over the course of one
year with support from the World Bank Group to all tourism stakeholders. The entire process involved
an extensive consultation process and in-depth dialogue with a wide range of organizations and
individuals from national and local governments, tour operators, investors, protected areas and
heritage site managers, hotel owners, tourism educators, and citizens representing all walks of life.
Tourism development prerequisites depend on these main strategic objectives in Georgia:
 Respect, enhance, and protect Georgia’s natural and cultural heritage
 Create unique and authentic visitor experiences cantered on those natural and cultural assets
 Enhance competitiveness, through delivery of world-class visitor services
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 Attract higher spending markets, through increased and more effective marketing and
promotion
 Expand and enhance Georgia’s ability to collect and analyze tourism data and measure
industry performance
 Expand public and private sector investment in the tourism sector
 Enhance the business environment, to facilitate increased foreign and domestic investment
 Build partnerships between government, industry, non-governmental organizations, and
communities that will be needed to achieve all of the above.
Georgia will be at the forefront of tourism competitiveness, through strategic investments in
infrastructure, education, marketing, and the development of unique Georgian visitor experiences that
appeal to high-value markets around the globe.
6. Conclusion
In conclusion, through tourism, people make contact with different cultures, civilizations, the desire to
learn, know, being reciprocal of the tourists and the host population. According to this theory, as
tourism becomes an educational process which helps to maintain peace.Tourism contributes to the
preservation and transmission of local traditions, the conservation and sustainable management of
natural resources, cultural, historical, representing the chance to protect the local heritage, the
revitalization of native cultures, the arts and traditional crafts.
Moreover, education is the main key for tourism development, because this is a factor of social
promotion, to improve life conditions and guide for creating handicrafts, for agricultural production,
for the development of local lifestyle, is an open mind, is an evolution of mentalities. Thus, tourism
through education can be, great chance in the vast process of unification, allowing people to get
closer, to know each other, to discover other peers novelty of life and culture, to save the natural and
cultural heritage. Finally,one of the most important issue is to develop sustainability and education is
one of the powerful tool for implementation of this process .
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Chapter 14. The World of Wine: How to Taste & Select a Quality
CONTENT
1. Georgia is a Cradle of wine
2. An Introduction to Georgian Wine
3. Georgian clay vessel kvevri buried underground
4. Georgian wine a favorite at Decanter World Wine Awards 2015
5. Georgian Wine
6. Five Was to Spot a Good wine
7. Bottle of Wine
8. Getting Started with Wine Tasting
9. Georgian wine exports
10. How to Select a Bottle of Wine
11. Tips & Warnings
12. Recommendations
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Georgia is a Cradle of wine
Many believe Georgia is a Cradle of wine and soon it will be scientifically proved.
The first result of models sent into the NASA laboratory showed a wine acid remain was
discovered in one model, which is consider as mark of European vine. The second parts of
models are already sent and research will finish in December. Declaring Georgia as birthplace
of wine will be most important phenomena, which will rise in interests in the world about
Georgia.
Several international scientific centers, such as a laboratory of NASA, Pennsylvania State
University, University of Montpellier, University of Milan, are also involved in the project.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration of the United States (NASA) is helping
Georgia to determine if Georgia is birthplace of wine. Along with NASA several international
scientific centers, such as Pennsylvania State University, University of Montpellier, University
of Milan, were also involved in the project.
The head of the Viticulture Department of the National Wine Agency, David Magradze said
the final result would be known in 2016, although it was initially planned for December 2015.
Magradze explained the first result of models sent into the NASA laboratory showed a wine
acid remain was discovered in one model, which was consider as mark of European vine. The
second parts of models have been already sent into the NASA laboratory and the results will be
published this year.
“Declaring Georgia as birthplace of wine will be most important phenomena, which will rise in
interests in the world about Georgia,” Magradze said.
Georgian Government started working on the project in January 2014.
The Georgian side expected a lot of material would prove that grape vine domestication and
wine production had started in Georgia.
An Introduction to Georgian Wine
" Rkatsiteli, kisi, saperavi, ojaleshi. You
might not have heard of them, but they’re
already listed on some of the trendiest
wine lists in town, from Compass Rose to
Red Hen. They’re Georgian wines and
they’re worth seeking out.
Georgia may well be the birthplace of
wine. Evidence shows that people living
near the Caucasus Mountains have been
fermenting grapes into wine for
approximately 8,000 years, longer than
anywhere else on the planet. Families all
over Georgia maintain their own small
vineyards and make wine at home, downing hundreds of liters a year at feasts celebrating
everything from births and weddings to birthdays and appliance purchases," Dcist.com reports.
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Saperavi grape
"With its mild climate and long history of viticulture, Georgia (along with Moldova) once
produced most of the wine consumed in the Soviet Union. Mass production collapsed along
with the USSR, but out of its ashes rose a new generation of winemakers using traditional
methods to create high-quality wines for a niche market.
They’re unusual, fun to say, and good to drink. Here’s what you need to know:
The grapes: Georgia is home to more than 500 different native grapes, a fact its winemakers
take fierce pride in. Unlike many of their eastern European neighbors, Georgians never
bothered planting western European varieties like cabernet or merlot—after all, why would you
drink a Georgian cabernet when you could have a French one? Their grapes (and the wines
they turn into) run the gamut from light and sweet to bold and meaty.
The technique: Many of the Georgian wines we’re seeing in D.C. are made using traditional
methods that differ substantially from those used in most European and American wineries.
The grape juice is fermented in huge clay vessels (called qvevri) that are lined with beeswax
and buried underground where the temperature is constant. These replace stainless steel tanks
and oak barrels (though some Georgian winemakers finish qvevri wines in oak). Winemakers
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producing qvevri wines typically rely on wild yeasts found naturally on the grape skins and in
the air to jumpstart fermentation.
Kvevri by Alex Imedashvili
The color: There are plenty of Georgian whites and reds, but you’ll also see a lot of Georgian
wines listed on menus as “orange” or “amber.”
The color of a wine comes less from the juice of the grapes than from their skins. Red wine is
red not because the grape juice is naturally so dark.
Kakheti among world’s top 10 wine regions you should visit
The juice of most red grapes is fairly transparent, in fact, but because it was fermented along
with the reddish skins, which bleed their color
into the juice. Rose is red wine that was
fermented with a shorter period of “skin
contact.” In the West, white wine is typically
made without any skin contact, so the wine
turns out transparent. But if you ferment the
juice of white grapes along with their skins,
you get orange (also known as amber) wine.
In addition to providing color, the grape skins
and stems make amber wines tannic, that dry,
grippy quality found in some red wines and in green tea.
Orange (Amber) wine
The taste: It all depends on the grape and the way the
wine was produced. Georgian wines run the gamut
from light and fruity to blood-red, full bodied
powerhouses.
If you like dry, full-bodied reds (like cabernet), try
saperavi. If you like a lighter body (like a pinot noir),
look for tavkveri.
If you like sweeter reds, try ojaleshi (which can have
a nice black pepper kick on the finish) or
kindzmarauli. If you like crisp whites, try mtsvane
or tsinandali. If you like softer, fruitier whites, try
tsolikouri.
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Mtsvane (Green) wine
If you’re looking for something out of the ordinary, go with an amber wine. With their savory,
wild, farmhouse flavors, they are the most
unusual for the western palate. Their
tannins give them enough backbone to pair
well with foods that would overwhelm
most other white wines, like grilled pork
and winter stews. They’re also a great
choice to drink with East Asian dishes.
In honor of Georgian Wine Month in
October, Compass Rose (1346 T St. NW)
rolled out an amber wine list, featuring six
wines fermented in the qvevri style. Maria
Bastasch, general manager at Compass
Rose, says these wines excite her for the versatility of food pairings they allow and how much
they evolve over the course of the meal. “We encourage people to have a sip, let the wine sit
for a while, and then try it halfway through the meal. It’s amazing how much they change.”
Georgian clay vessel kvevri buried underground
Where to find them: Compass Rose offers at least half a dozen Georgian wines by the glass and
by the bottle at any given time. They also make cocktails featuring Georgian sparkling wine
and chacha (Georgian grappa). Red Hen (1822 1st St. NW) regularly features Georgian wines
in the “orange” section of its list. Iron Gate (1734 N St. NW) recently started offering Georgian
selections. You can also pair your Japanese small plates with Georgian tipples at Daikaya (705
6th St. NW).
For Georgian wine to take home, visit Batch 13 wine shop (1724 14th St. NW), this is
Georgian-owned and operated. There’s also a decent selection of Georgian bottles at Potomac
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Wines and Spirits (3100 M St. NW), Rodman’s (5100 Wisconsin Ave. NW), and Cleveland
Park Wine and Spirits (3423 Connecticut Ave. NW),"the article reads.
Forget Red, White, and Rosé - Orange Wine Is What You Should Be Sipping This
Fall
“Five years ago marked the entrance of
“orange wine”—an obscure category that
has stirred some very vocal proponents and
riled some very vocal detractors—into the
international
wine
scene”, VOGUE reports.
“Though the style has been produced for
quite some time, the “orange” description
was purportedly coined in 2004 by a U.K.based wine importer who encountered a
bottle in winemaker Frank Cornelissen’s
cellar in Sicily. It refers to certain white
wines (yes, they’re made from white
grapes) that fall somewhere on the color spectrum of fall foliage. Their flavors also have great
autumnal appeal, since many can be downright and broodingly earthy. Orange wine has
become somewhat of a derogatory term amongst sommeliers, and some restaurants have taken
to listing them as amber, which is a more accurate description of color in many cases. “I prefer
skin-fermented,” says Master Sommelier Pascaline Lepeltier of NYC’s soon-to-reopen Rouge
Tomate, referring to the method by which the wine is made: fermented on the skins, or
“macerated,” the same way a red wine obtains its color and texture.
Think of the wine like tea, with maceration akin to steeping. The longer it macerates, the more
character, depth of color, tannins, and bitterness is extracted. It’s the way whites were made in
ancient times, before the advent of stainless steel tanks, pumps, and filtration systems. Some
producers today are even producing orange wines in clay vessels called amphorae, which are
dug into the ground to protect the wine from oxidation, light, and temperature fluctuations.
Sure, orange wines can be challenging for those not used to so much texture in their whites,
and some may seem like hippie wines: made in strangely rustic ways, showing their bumps,
bruises, and the signature of the winemakers who loved them. But the best examples prove that
skin contact can amplify flavors where conventional white winemaking would distill them
down to their essence. They’re great if you’re in a bind for something to pair with funkier
fare—like sweetbreads, chicken liver mousse, or game birds—as well as with the autumnal
bounty of your fall dinner table.It’s a tradition that is still very much alive in Eastern Europe,
like in Georgia, where Lepeltier recently traveled to study up on the technique, and has slowly
but surely migrated west and even into the New World, with several prominent wineries in
California now practicing skin-fermentation", the article reads.
Georgian orange wine is already quite popular and is listed among the must-try wines produced
in Slovenia, Italy and California.
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2013 Iago’s Wine Chinuri Kartli, Republic of
Georgia; $19
"Iago Bitarishvili founded his winery in 2003 to realize his
dream of making wine in the traditional homespun way of his
region. So he crushes his organically grown chinuri grapes in
a large, hollowed-out log and empties the resulting juice and
skins into earthenware vessels called qvevri, which then
remain buried in the ground for six months. It may sound like
alchemy, but the result is a fascinating mouthful: pear,
autumn honey, buckwheat, and eastern spices, with the
structure of a red wine built for aging. Try it with hard
cheeses and charcuterie or more substantial vegetarian fare
like bitter greens and eggplant", VOGUE reports.
Why should you get to know Georgian wines? Because they’re exciting Washington Post
The Washington Post has just recently published an article on Georgian wines by Dave
McIntyre. The article tells the readers why they should get acquainted with Georgian wines.
Among the reasons listed by the author, one stands out in particular - they are simply exciting.
Here is the article itself:
"We tend to think of the classic vinifera wine grape varieties as European, meaning French,
Italian and Spanish. But vinifera’s origin lies to the east, in the Caucasus region: where Europe
and Asia intersect, where ancient trade routes crisscrossed the mountains between the Black
Sea and Persia, and near where the Bible says Noah planted a vineyard after the ark settled on
Mount Ararat. This is where the oldest archaeological evidence of wine production, vinifera
seeds in clay vessels, was found. Both Georgia and Armenia claim to be wine’s homeland, as
borders have been fluid between antiquity and now. But let’s tip our hats to Georgia as the
origin of wine, if only because more of its wines are available now in the United States.
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And Georgia’s wines are exciting. The country offers everything a modern wine geek could ask
for: native vinifera grape varieties grown almost nowhere else; modern-style wines that capture
those grapes’ fruity flavors; and wines fermented the way Georgians have done it for centuries,
offering us a taste of the past. It doesn’t hurt that the old style has become trendy. Even better:
The wines are not expensive.
“Georgia is a small country with a tiny production but an image and potential that far exceed its
size,” said Lisa Granik, a master of wine, during a presentation of Georgian wines at Vinexpo,
an international trade fair held in Bordeaux, France, in June.
Much of Georgia’s image and popularity comes from its ancient practice of fermenting wine in
qvevri, clay vessels buried underground. Most modern white wines are made by quickly
separating the pressed juice from the grapes’ skins, stems and seeds. In the ancient method, the
juice, skins, stems and seeds go into the qvevri to ferment together. The result can be deeply
colored, oxidized and tannic, with some of the features of red wines. Winemakers often
describe this method (whether using clay vessels or not) as “making white wine as if it were
red.”
Skin-fermented whites are trendy today as “orange wines,” although Mamuka Tsereteli, a
Georgian native who imports wines from his homeland into the Washington area, prefers to
call them “amber wines.”They aren’t very citrusy, after all.
“Georgia has nearly 500 native grape varieties,” Tsereteli explained to me while we tasted
some of his imports at Batch 13, a wine store on 14th Street NW owned by George Grigolia, a
fellow Georgian. Tsereteli’s company, the Georgian Wine House, imports Georgian wines
distributed in the District, Maryland, Virginia and five other states.
Georgia’s main wine region is Kakheti, in the eastern part of the country, where the Caucasus
mountains stretch from northwest to southeast. Although wine is grown throughout most of the
country, Tsereteli said, farther west toward the Black Sea the landscape is flatter and sandier,
less amenable to high-quality grape growing.
The most common grapes in wines imported to the United States are Rkatsiteli and Mtsvane
among whites, and the red Saperavi. (Each letter is pronounced, more or less, so the names are
not as difficult as they look.) Made in the modern style, the whites are crisp and fruity; made as
amber wines, they tend to be rich and full-bodied.
Reds made in qvevri in the ancient style can be sweet, because in cooler temperatures the
fermentation might stop before all the grape sugar is converted to alcohol. Because sweet reds
are in vogue nowadays, these wines should find a market. Saperavi can also be quite savory,
with tobacco leaf and dark-fruit flavors. In texture and taste, it resembles a cabernet franc from
the Loire Valley in France. But a good saperavi, like most Georgian wines, has what wines
from anywhere else don’t have: a taste that spans centuries of history, and a whiff of ancient
origins", reads the article.
Georgian wine listed among 13 best orange wines worldwide
A large variety of Georgian wines has gained worldwide popularity and recognition. This time
the so-called Georgian orange wine is in the center of attention. The Independent has
published a list of 13 best orange wines that include Georgian wine as well.
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"Orange wines – so named because of their colour rather than
their contents – are white wines made using the same principles
and methods as red. The skins are left on, producing tannins and
leaving the wine spicier, herbier and drier than most. Made by
small, dedicated producers, most of them don’t come cheap, but
their fame is spreading.
Tbilvino Qvevris 2011: £9, marksandspencer.com
M&S has entered the market with a medium-priced Georgian wine produced by fermenting the
grape juice and skins in large clay jars known as Qvevri. Dry, spicy and a good match for a
seafood platter, the price tag also makes it a good one to start with.
Ramaz Nikoladze Tsolikouri 2013: £21, winebear.com
This comes from a small vineyard in western Georgia where the vines are up to 100 years old.
The grape juice is put into one qvevri (or amphora) for six months to ferment and then racked
up in a second for up to a year. A spicy floral finish with hints of dried fruit.
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Georgian wine a favorite at Decanter World Wine Awards
2015
Georgian wine has been recognized and praised at the 2015 Decanter World Wine Awards
(DWWA), the world’s largest and most influential wine competition.
While celebrating the event’s 40th anniversary, DWWA judges selected their favorite wines of
2015, among them was the Georgian Tsolikouri wine variety.
Georgian wine was recommended by food, wine and travel writer and photographer Carla
Capalbo.
"I love wines that make you question the status quo. This beautiful, amber-coloured white is
made – as many of Georgia’s best wines are – in a qvevri (large traditional clay vessels buried
in the ground),” she wrote.
"Ramaz Nicoladze produces it from 100-year-old Tsolikouri vines in the Imereti hills of central
Georgia, with three months of stem-free skin contact.
"The wine’s exotic notes of spice, apricots and tea ride with exciting energy to a finely tannic,
elegant finale and go just wonderfully with food,” Capalbo added.
Italian, Portuguese, South African and Australian wines were also among the favorite wines
chosen by the judges.
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GEORGIAN WINE
Wine has been produced in what is now called the Republic of Georgia for thousands of years, making
it one of the oldest wine-producing countries in the world. It’s situated between the Caucus Mountains
and the Black Sea, at the crossroads of Eastern and Western Europe, bordering Russia, Turkey,
Armenia, and Azerbaijan. Many native grape varieties existed in the country sides, and were eventually
used for wine. In Georgia, a country with rich culture of wine-growing and wine-making, the
tradition of using the geographical name of the place of origin as the appellation of a wine has
a long history. Although the territory of Georgia is not large, the number of these appellations
is nevertheless significant. Each of them is distinguished by special characteristics, high quality
and reputation, which is influenced by the unique environmental conditions of Georgia.
9000 year-old archeological findings indicate wine production, and the Georgian word
“ghvino” is said to be the root of “vin,” “vino,” and eventually, “wine.” With an unbroken
history of over 8,000 vintages, our country is believed to be the cradle of wine: the birthplace
of many prominent grape varieties now cultivated around the world. Here, wine is central to
life, culture and religious symbolism: the original Georgian Cross is said to be composed of
grapevines.
3% 1% 2%
Kakheti
18%
Kartli
Imereti
Racha-Lechkhumi
9%
67%
Guria
Samegrelo
Fig. 1. Distribution of vineyard areas in Georgia
Wine production continued through the centuries as empires grew and nations claimed
territories. In the 6th century, the Ikhalto monastery and academy was founded near Telavi.
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With wine production playing an important role in the newly-founded Christian religion,
Ikhalto became an important center of viticulture and even established a wine academy.
Georgia became a largely Christian nation and as a result, was mostly left alone during the
Crusades. During the Ottoman occupation starting in the 11th century, most of this part of the
world was sent into prohibition according to Muslim law. But Georgia was able to continue
most of its wine production because the rules made allowances for Christian sacramental
wines.
Georgian wines abounded until the worldwide Phylloxera epidemic, after which it languished
for a couple of decades. When it became part of the USSR, wine-making efforts were enforced
to supply Russia and the other Soviet nations. Though Georgia officially gained independence
in 1991, relations with Russia have been contentious. In 2006, Russia enforced a lasting ban on
Georgian wines, which has had a profound effect on the industry. New export markets are
continuing to be explored, especially in the US and UK. Georgia already suffered from a poor
economy, and commercial wine is often considered too pricey for local consumers, who often
prefer to make their own wine. This “backyard wine” is produced by crushing every part of the
grape, seeds, skins, and all, and placing this into large earthenware amphorae called “quevri,”
then buried up to the neck in soil and sealed with wax. Nothing else is added; the fermentation
occurs between the wild grape yeasts and temperatures of the earth the quevri are buried in.
They are unsealed and consumed months later.
Despite marketing obstacles, wine is still produced in almost the entire republic, save the areas
in the remote highlands. It is broken down into five main viticultural zones: Kakheti, Kartli,
Imereti, Racha-Lechkumi, and the Black Sea Coast.
The leading grapes in Georgia are the white Rkatsiteli and red Saperavi. Other popular
indigenous grapes are Kakhuri, Alexandrouli, Aladsturi, Keduretuli, Ojaleshi, and Usakhelouri
for reds. Whites consist mainly of Chinuri, Mtsvani, Tetra, Tsitska, and Tsolikouri. Popular
international varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, etc. are also cultivated in Georgia,
often blended with local grapes.
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As interest in natural and artisan wine making increases, a great deal of attention has recently
been falling on Georgia’s ancient tradition of quevri wine-making. This method of wine-making
dates back over 7000 years, and the Georgians are currently seeking to give it special protected
heritage status through UNESCO. Quevris are not the same as amphora – firstly, they are much
larger, and are buried in the ground up their neck, to preserve a stable temperature. Secondly, the
entire wine making process takes place within the quevri – initial fermentation right through to
maturation, with the fermenting grape juice often being left on the skins and even grape stems to
produce wines of exceptional flavour and complexity. Quevris are used differently in different
areas of Georgia, often depending on the climate of the region. As the regions get hotter the more
skins and stems tend to be fermented with the grapes – if stems were left in the wine in the cooler
regions it would produce wines that were far too “green” and harsh.
Installing Quevri at the winery
Quevri once buried in the ground
One of Georgia’s other great wine making traditions, which one cannot help noticing when
coming across these wines for the first time, is its semi sweet wines, which appear in both red
and white varieties. The Georgian Wine Society stocks a number of these wines, including the
famous Kindzmarauli, the less well known but highly regarded varieties of Ojaleshi and
Pirosmani, and the magisterial Khvanchkara, the favourite wine of one of Georgia’s most
infamous sons, Joseph Stalin.
Traditionally, medium sweet wines were produced in the mountainous areas where, due to
climate and soil conditions, late harvest and early winter prevented fermentation and the wine
stayed sweet. This type of wine was therefore generally used for local and quick consumption,
because in spring, when the temperature rose, the wines tended to re-ferment and spoil.
Nowadays, famous Georgian semi-sweet wines such as Kindzmarauli and Khvanchkara tend to
be created within temperature controlled fermentation tanks at the winery to preserve their
higher sugar content.
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FIVE WAYS TO SPOT A GOOD WINE
Everything you need to know to find that perfect bottle
Here's a shocker: Good wine is neither expensive, nor old. So how do you know what makes
for a good bottle of vino? Well, for starters, it's deep, complex and stays with you long after
you've tasted it. You're saying, "but there are so many. How do I choose?" The general tasting
rules of swirl, sniff and sip are a start, but there's more to learn when determining if a wine is
worthy of your taste buds and cash. We went to the experts to find out exactly what to look for.
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Check Out the Backside
First appearance isn't everything. Front labels can be enticing, but check out the full package
before you purchase. Read back labels for more information about a wine. Sometimes there are
some clues about the wine like fruits, flavors, the aging process, importers and region. Keep an
eye out for any stamps of approval like awards or reviews—all signs of a good wine. Go ahead
and ask for recommendations. Don't be shy! "Ask the wine steward or a friend for a
recommendation to help make your selection," says Peter Click, president and founder of The
Click Wine Group (Fat Bastard Wines). "If you're on a date, chances are the woman across the
table will appreciate your humility, vulnerability and security to ask for help from a trusted
expert."
Scent of Attraction
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Swirl and sniff. Here's where two rules of tasting 101 come into play. Does it have nice legs?
You know those slender lines of liquid that slowly drip down the sides of the glass. Legs mean
little when it comes to a good wine, but it can clue you in on its alcohol content. Sniff. What do
you smell? Honey? Peppers? Apple? Oak? Chances are, the more you smell, the better the wine
may taste. "Juicy impressions of three types of fruit or aromas of three things (that you like) the
nose knows," says wine industry veteran Tim McDonald. "I am a big believer of sniffing and
swirling; the taste is confirming what you sense. Good [wine] is the combo of all of it, the sum
of the parts. If you think it's bad, it probably is."
Use Your Tongue
Sound sexy? Well it is, but focus. Once you've swirled and sniffed your way around the glass,
go in for the sip. Let the liquid move around your tongue. Do you taste dark cherries,
grapefruit? Use your taste buds to figure out how many different flavors you can pick up on.
Hint: as long as it's in balance and isn't putrid-smelling, the more you can taste the more
complex the wine. When all of the flavors stay on your tongue for some time, even better! "If
the wine's fruit flavors (think plums, blackberry, cherry, raspberry, citrus, melon, peach) dance
across your tongue and the finish lingers you know you've got a complex and balanced wine,"
says Click.
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Get its Digits
Good vintage. If you do some homework and know your years and some favorite regions,
you'll know if climate and weather conditions produced a perfectly ripe harvest—and good
wines. Extreme heat or cold or too much rain can take a toll on the quality of some grapes. Do
some research before you buy, particularly if you're trying a new region, and don't be fooled by
age. "Older wines aren't necessarily better," says Click. "Many wines under $15 are intended to
be enjoyed young. In general you can drink whites one to two years and reds two to three years
after bottling. Higher-end wines have more staying power and can last three to 10 years or
more."
Embrace What You Really Like
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If you purchase the wine again, chances are you like it. When you find one you like, stick to it.
It's simple, but be mindful of the grapes varietals in the wines you prefer. If you like Pinot Noir
from Oregon, you just might dig a Burgundy from France. Then again, a Syrah from the Rhône
region may be slightly different from a South African or Australian Shiraz. Explore the world
of wine. "Taste is subjective, which means the best wine is the one you like," says Click. "Take
time to try new varietals from regions all around the world and find your own personal style."
Wine Tip: Screw It!
"Don't be afraid to try wine with a screw cap closure," says Click. "A screw cap doesn't mean
the wine is cheap, it means the winery is committed to quality. Approximately 8 percent of
wine bottled under cork is cork-tainted or undrinkable."
Bottle of Wine
Tourism is crucial for many countries due to increased opportunities for employment and large
monetary gains for local businesses. Different countries have various strategies and approaches
toward tourism development, some approaches are propelled by poverty alleviation but at the
same time lack of the strategic tourism plan and wrong approaches toward tourism
development that can cause problems and have negative impacts on local environment. It is
crucial to bear in mind that tourism development cannot be only alternative way for the
development of rural and mountain regions and tourism cannot be seen from only positive side.
It will be more rational to make long-term plans for tourism development, to bear in mind dark
side of the tourism and manage the ways to avoid it.
First of all, long-term strategic tourism development plans at national, as well as at the regional
level should be developed and adopted with close consultation of all interested stakeholder
groups. It is important that high participation of local companies and communities are ensured
in the development of regional tourism plans.
Secondly, before starting promotion of any type of tourism in the mountainous or rural regions,
the research should be undertaken regarding the tourism potential and local people’s
expectations.
Thirdly, to avoid negative impacts on the environment and local communities, Environmental
Impact Assessment must be mandatory for the large-scale tourism development projects.
Finally, when long-term strategic tourism plans are developed, it is important that they are
respected and followed by the governmental agencies in the first place.
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Getting Started with Wine Tasting
Nowadays the one of the popular word is a Sommelier or wine steward, is a trained and
knowledgeable wine professional, normally working in fine restaurants, who specializes in all
aspects of wine service as well as wine and food pairing. The role is much more specialized
and informed than that of a wine waiter: in fine dining today, it has been opined that, the role is
strategically on a par with that of the executive chef or chef de cuisine. This modern word is a
French, deriving from Middle French where it referred to a court official charged with
transportation of supplies. This use of the term dates to a period when pack animals would be
used to transport supplies. The Middle French probably finds its origin in Old Provencal where
a saumalier was a pack animal driver. Sauma referred to a pack animal or the load of a pack
animal. In Late Latin, sagma referred to a packsaddle. Learning to taste wine is no different
than learning to really appreciate music or art in that the pleasure you receive is proportionate
to the effort you make. The more you fine-tune your sensory abilities, the better you’re able to
understand and enjoy the nuances and details that great wines express. The time and effort
invested in palate training is rewarding—and very, very fun.
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How to Taste Wine
The ability to sniff out and untangle the subtle threads that weave into complex wine aromas is
essential for tasting. Try holding your nose while you swallow a mouthful of wine; you will
find that most of the flavor is muted. Your nose is the key to your palate. Once you learn how
to give wine a good sniff, you’ll begin to develop the ability to isolate flavors—to notice the
way they unfold and interact—and, to some degree, assign language to describe them.
This is exactly what wine professionals—those who make, sell, buy, and write about wine—are
able to do. For any wine enthusiast, it’s the pay-off for all the effort.
While there is no one right or wrong way to learn how to taste, some “rules” do apply.
First and foremost, you need to be methodical and focused. Find your own approach and
consistently follow it. Not every single glass or bottle of wine must be analyzed in this way, of
course. But if you really want to learn about wine, a certain amount of dedication is required.
Whenever you have a glass of wine in your hand, make it a habit to take a minute to stop all
conversation, shut out all distraction and focus your attention on the wine’s appearance, scents,
flavors and finish.
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You can run through this mental checklist in a minute or less, and it will quickly help you to
plot out the compass points of your palate. Of course, sipping a chilled rosé from a paper cup at
a garden party doesn’t require the same effort as diving into a well-aged Bordeaux served from
a Riedel Sommelier Series glass. But those are the extreme ends of the spectrum. Just about
everything you are likely to encounter falls somewhere in between.
How to become a sommelier detailed in 3 steps. This article includes advice from seasoned
pros. Learn the real details on what you can do to prepare yourself for a life in the wine
business.
*Depends on business, location and your skill level. Pay can be based on % of wine sales.
How to become a Sommelier:
•
•
•
Step 1: Self-Directed Wine Education
Step 2: Start Working in the Industry
Step 3: Get a Sommelier Certificate
The Georgian Sommelier Association has today become a full member of the International
Sommelier Association (ASI).
Georgia joined the international organization’s General Assembly in the French city of Reims,
in the Champagne region.
Georgian Sommelier Association president and honorary Ambassador of Georgian wine Shalva
Khetsuriani took part in the assembly. He addressed attendees and spoke about the successful
methods being implemented to raise awareness and popularity of Georgian wine and the
sommelier profession.
One of the important issues discussed at the ASI assembly was how to implement standards of
sommelier activity and developing this profession throughout the world.
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Within the assembly, Khetsuriani met with Sommelier Association presidents and negotiated
the sale of Georgian wine in different countries including China, Japan, Sweden, Norway,
Denmark, Canada, Finland, England and Poland.
Georgian wine exports
More Georgian wine is continuing to be exported to foreign countries and enjoyed by people
all over the world.
Monthly export figures released today revealed more than half a million more bottles of wine
was exported in April 2015 compared to March, while this figure was double what was
exported in January and February.
In April 2015, Georgia exported 2,878,565 bottles of wine, while 2,198,535 bottles were
exported in March, 1,558,631 in February and 1,343,018 in January, said Georgia's National
Wine Agency.
In total, from January to April, Georgia exported 7,978,749 bottles of wine (0.75 litre), valued
at $23 million USD to 26 countries across the world.
In the first four months of 2015 Georgian wine exports had dropped 58 percent less than in the
same period of 2014. The Agency believed this was due to a reduction in imports from
Georgia's two largest wine importers – Russia (-76 percent) and Ukraine (-57 percent).
In recent times Georgia has worked hard to diversify its wine import markets, and this was
evident in the Agency's latest data.
Export of Georgian wine had increased to "strategically important markets" like China, Eastern
European countries and Canada, said the Agency.
Canada recorded the largest percentage increase in terms of the volume of Georgian wine the
country imported. The latest data showed exports of Georgian wine to Canada increased by 250
percent in the first part of this year.
From January to April 2015, China also experienced an 87 percent increase in its import of
Georgian wine, claimed the Agency. In recent times Georgia has made an effort to penetrate
the Asian wine market, and results were now becoming evident, said the Agency. This could
further be backed up as exports of Georgian wine increased by 9 percent to Japan so far this
year.
Similarly, more wine was also being imported in Europe. Data showed the UK was the top
European importer of Georgian wine, and had experienced a 79 % increase in import figures.
Wine exports to Germany also increased by 6 %, said the Agency.
Furthermore, data showed Georgian wine exports had increased in Belarus (by 27 %), Estonia
(by 16 %), Poland (by 7 %), the United States (by 6%) and other countries this year.
Meanwhile, Russia was traditionally the largest importer of Georgian wine. Despite its
reduction in importing Georgian wine, it still topped the list of countries where the biggest
portion of Georgian wine was exported.
About three million bottles of wine was exported in Russia in the first four months of 2015.
Kazakhstan imported 1,529, 688 bottles of Georgian wine, 873,516 bottles were exported to
Ukraine, 519,576 to Poland and 494,478 bottles to China.
Meanwhile, Georgia exported 1,495,500 bottles of brand (0.5 liters) valued at $4,468,997 USD
in January-April 2015.
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Russia (882,032 bottles) and Ukraine (400,560 bottles) topped the list of Georgian brand
importer countries, said Georgia's National Wine Agency.
How to Select a Bottle of Wine
Have you ever stood in a supermarket aisle staring at row after row of wine, wondering which
bottle you should purchase?
Steps
1. Know that the old adage of serving: white wine with white meat and red with
red meat is too simplistic. In general, enjoy your favorite wine with your favorite food but
the key is to select wine based on the "weight" and texture of the meal. Heavier meals and
sauces require bigger wine to match their weight and lighter meals and sauces will require
lighter and more subtle wines.
Here are some Tips
Weight-wise meals from heavy to light will be Red meat with heavy sauces, game meats (and
Turkey) with heavy sauce, pasta with Alfredo sauce, things with lots of butter or gravy, lighter
sauces, chicken or meat lightly sautéed to seafood in lighter sauces to lobster or shrimp in light
sauces.
• To match wines in the same order (from heavy weight to light) you can select from
Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Piedmont (northern Italians), Bordeaux blends, Tuscan wines
like Chianti (from Italy), Merlot, Pinot Noir, Burgundy wines, California chardonnay, white
French wines, sauvignon blancs.
• Spicy foods go better with slightly sweeter wines like Sancerre (France), Sauvignon Blanc
(especially good from New Zealand), Gewuertztraminer (Germany and California), and Pinot
Grigio (Italy and California).
• Despite what people have you believe--e.g., that a port wine or coffee is require--chocolate
may pair wonderfully with dry Cabernets.
• Champagne tastes much better if you pay at least $20 for it and it goes well with delicate and
subtle textured foods.
•
2. Do your homework. If you want a bottle of wine for a special occasion, there are websites
where you can research the type of wine you are looking for. Winespectator.com is one good
source. Read the reviews and ratings to see if a wine stands out that you might want to try.
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Some words of advice
- One should select a wine to go with food as one would choose spices: just as one knows that
savoury spices go well with red beans, one should also know which wine would go well with
such a dish.
- The flavour of a wine is largely based upon the following three basic elements: acidity,
sweetness and tannin content. Very acidic wines can deal with fatty foods, and very often share
a common language with spicy sauces. Sugar can soften and round off the flavour of a dish,
whereas a wine with lots of tannins goes well with dishes high in protein, which is why strong
red wines should be served with dishes such as meat, beans or mushrooms.
- It is a well-known fact that dry red wines do not go well with fish, because fish gives such
wines a metallic taste (fish cooked in red wine and served with a light red wine, however, is a
very interesting combination).
- If a wine is bitter or is very young, its bitterness can be neutralized by pairing it with a sour or
salty dish, and acidic wines actually go very well with salty dishes. This is why white wines
with high acidity or dry sparkling wines go well with fish and seafood.
- Tough meats which need to be chewed for a long time – beef steaks, especially – soften the
flavour of tannins, which is why red wine is best served with red meat whereas white wine goes
best with fish and white meats.
- Simple dishes with mutton, lamb, beef or game without complicated sauces are best
accompanied by special, aged red wines (which also go well with roast turkey or pork).
- White wine goes well with most dishes made from fish or containing eggs, whereas light reds
should be served with dishes made from pulses.
- The rule for choosing wine is very simple: serve aromatic, thick and strong wines with fatty
and nutritious foods; slightly lighter wines with slightly less fatty dishes; and light wines with
light dishes. Fatty and nutritious food can also go very well with a light wine if the flavour of
the latter would make for an interesting contrast. A dish should match the acidity of the wine
with which it is served, or else the wine may seem bland. A goose prepared with oranges, for
example, should be accompanied by a distinctly acidic wine, whereas one cooked with olives
would not necessarily require such a wine. The acidity of a white wine can improve the flavour
of a dish, as it has the same effect as adding several drops of lemon juice.
- Should one ever be given the opportunity to try a very old, rich, complex wine, one should
never have it with a peppery dish, for this spice would kill all the wine's interesting and
mysterious nuances. The opposite, however, is true of simple wines: pepper added to a food
enriches the aroma of such wines and gives them new meaning.
- Sweet dishes do not go well with dry wines, but many sweet and semi-sweet wines are an
excellent accompaniment to strong flavours. Examples of well-known pairings
are Sauterneswith foie gras or with Roquefort cheese.
- One should remember that if one intends to serve different wines during a meal, one should
begin by serving the lighter ones. It would be pointless to start with heavy Saperavi, for
example, for one would then be unable to appreciate the flavour of any other wine served later.
As a rule, one should start with sparkling or light classic European-style white wines, then
move on to rosé wines, which could then be followed by Kakhetian qvevri wines, finishing
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with red wines in order of fullness of body and strength. Dry wines should always be served
before semi-dry, semi-sweet, sweet or fortified wines. The final note of a dinner might consist
of a strong drink such as cognac, Georgian brandy or high-quality chacha, etc.
As for the scales of wine production, Georgia belongs to the category of small-scale
producers. The following companies have been studied for the wine market research:
Akhasheni, D. Sarajishvili & Eniseli, Vaziani, Enisel i-Bagrationi, Manavi Wine Cellar,
Teliani Valley, Tbilvino, Chateau Mukhrani, Twins Wine House in Napareuli, Biowine,
Darchiashvili Bio Wine, and GWS [3].
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Tips & Warnings
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Don't worry about vintage until you know a lot. Even in Bad years good wines are made, and
even in great years terrible wines are made. Always ask questions.
Don't be too stressed that the wine needs to be perfect. Experimenting is fun and much more
interesting than drinking the same wine day after day.
Always try a wine you don't recognize. Unless you like the same food every night, it doesn't
make sense to have the same wine every night. Wine is fun and there a literally millions of
different wines to choose from. Use wine as a tool to explore the world!
Most people select a wine because they like the label; which, of course, has absolutely nothing
to do with the quality or taste of the wine.
Realize that in this age of modern wine-making technology, there are many more good wines
than bad wines on retail shelves.
Do not consume too much wine in one go. Wine, however delicious it may be, is still alcoholic
and may be dangerous if too much is drunk.
Never mix alcohol with drugs.
3. Keep track of good wines you drink. Write down the name of the winery, varietal and
Country of Origin. If sampling wine at the tasting room of a winery, they will usually let you
have a copy of the wines you are tasting and their descriptions. Make note of your favorites
4. Get assistance. The employee of a shop specializing in wine is usually knowledgeable about
the wine they stock. Describe what kind of wine you want and you should get a reliable
recommendation
5. Select a wine by its rating. Stores will often post the rating of wines that are highly rated.
Everyone has different taste in wines, but at least you know that someone enjoyed the wine if it
has a high rating. A rating of 90 or more is excellent. Wine Spectator and Wine Advocate are
two of the more common rating services. Be aware that most wines are never entered in
competitions so you do miss some great wines if you only purchase wines based on their
ratings.
The analysis of domestic and export demand for Georgian wine showed that there are two main
principles to be taken into consideration – 1. Strengthening of fair competition in the domestic
market; and 2. Meeting the requirements of international market.
Based on the analysis, some authors have developed the following recommendations:
 It’s advisable to replace the vineyards with lower quality grape varieties with higher quality
varieties;
 It’s necessary to develop an action plan for the development of export markets;
 It’s important to make “Georgian wine” a brand and to make professional advertisements
describing Georgian wine, viticulture regions and grape varieties;
 Well-founded strategies for wine market diversification should be developed;
 More information should be obtained and analyzed about priority markets;
 Optimal balance should be maintained between the vineyard areas covered with white and
red grape varieties in accordance with demand conditions in international market;
 It’s preferable that annually, governmental agencies determine the level of competitiveness
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of Georgian wine in cooperation with scientific and research centers based on approved
methodology;
Wine tourism should be encouraged and promoted;
It’s important for Georgian wine to participate in international festivals, expositions,
conferences and other events;
Production of bio wine should be encouraged. Georgia has goods perspectives in wine
export in this field;
The Law of Georgia “on Vine and Wine” needs to be improved; a new law (on farms, etc.)
should be adopted.
References
1.
E.
Kharaishvili, M. Chavleishvili (2011). Cluster Model for Development of Viticulture and
Wine-Market in Georgia. International scientific and practical conference, Batumi, p. 67.
2. E. Kharaishvili, M. Chavleishvili, M. Natsvaladze, (2014). Trends and Prospects for the
Development of Georgian Wine Market. World Academy of Science, Engineering and
Technology International Journal of Social, Behavioral, Educational, Economic and
Management Engineering Vol:8, No:10, pp. 3145-3149
3. M. Kharbedia. (2015). Georgian Wine and Food pairing. http://en.vinoge.com/winefoodmatching/georgian-wine-and-food-pairing
4. E. Kharaishvili, (2011). Problems of Competition and Competitiveness in Agro-Food
Products Sector in Georgia, Tbilisi, , p. 91-92
Sources:
http://www.marani.co/index.php?site-lang=en&site-path=home/
http://www.winemag.com/wine-for-beginners/
http://www.mensfitness.com/nutrition/what-to-drink/five-ways-spot-good-wine
Read more: http://www.snooth.com/region/georgia/#ixzz3pVqiVQjY
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Chapter 15. Nine Reasons to Visit Georgia
Out on the fringes of Europe, the former Soviet Republic of Georgia is a country shrouded in
mystery.
Sandwiched between the Caucasus Mountains to the north, the Black Sea to the west and dry
deserts to the south, this small country, which borders Russia, Azerbaijan, Armenia and
Turkey, is not only a crossroad of cultures, but has a wealth of spectacular landscapes.
Until recently, many would have struggled to place the country of Georgia on the map (or at
least mistake it for the U.S. state of the same name), but it’s quickly becoming one of Europe’s
hottest new destinations.
Here are nine reasons to visit Georgia now:
1. Tbilisi: An eclectic melting pot
From the hanging balconies in the crumbling Old Tbilisi district and the Persian-style sulfur
baths clad in turquoise mosaics, to unique art nouveau buildings falling into disrepair sitting
side by side with futuristic glass structures, Tbilisi is a city that inspires.
The Georgian capital lies on the banks of the Mtkvari River and is surrounded by mountains on
all three sides.
Archeologists trace the first settlement in today’s Tbilisi to the 4th millennium B.C.
Its position on the old Silk Road turned it into a multicultural hub, reflected today in the city’s
ethnic diversity and eclectic architecture.
The baths in Abanotubani follow the Persian tradition, only the thermal water bubbles up
naturally from the ground below.
Tbilisi gets its name from the Old Georgian word “tbili,” meaning warm, due to its hot,
sulfurous
water.
Moving away from Abanotubani, a walk into the Old Town reveals old Georgian and
Armenian churches, mosques and synagogues and even the ruins of the most northern
Zoroastrian fire temple.
Tbilisi’s multicultural atmosphere is on full display this fall at the Tbilisi International Festival
of Theatre, which runs from September 25 to October 8.
2. Ushguli: the highest village of Europe
Way up in the Caucasus Mountains around 2 200 meters above sea level, this small village is
Europe’s highest continuously inhabited settlement. Sitting at the foot of Mount Shkhara,
Georgia’s highest point, Ushguli is famous for the medieval defensive towers connected to
each house.
It’s deep in the Svaneti region, known for its unique culture that was once cut off from the rest
of the country. The main town of Mestia is on its way to becoming the Georgian equivalent of
a Swiss resort but Ushguli has been saved by its poor transport routes, which have helped
preserve the village’s timeless feel.
Young men gallop through the dirt tracks on horseback between the crumbling towers, dodging
the livestock in the street. Ushguli and the region of Upper Svaneti are classified as UNESCO
World Heritage Sites.
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3. The birthplace of wine
When we think of the origin of wine we tend to think of France, Italy, Greece or Persia, but
Georgia is in fact one of the world’s oldest wine regions. In 2003 archaeologists found
evidence that Stone Age people were producing wine here up to 8,000 years ago. Since then,
wine has played a core part in Georgia’s national identity. The country’s ancient tradition of
fermenting grape juice in clay vessels, known as kvevris, has made it onto UNESCO’s
Intangible Cultural Heritage list. There are hundreds of indigenous grape varieties and
Georgian wine is slowly gaining recognition globally. While some of the homemade varieties
aren’t particularly palatable, there are some excellent vineyards in Georgia producing premium
wines.
A good place to start is with a red wine aged in oak barrels made from the Saperavi grape from
Mukuzani in the wine region of Kakheti, such as those from Teliani Valley, or a white
Tsinandali, made from a blend of Rkatsiteli and Mtsvane grapes. Soviet dictator and Georgian
native Joseph Stalin was a fan of Khvanchkara, a sweet red wine from the Racha mountain
region in the Caucasus.
4. Mysterious cave cities
Georgia is home to some of the most unusual cave cities in Europe.
By themselves, they’re reason alone to visit the country.
The oldest is Uplitstsikhe, an ancient settlement that resembles a lunar landscape.
Others include Davit Gareja, a vast monastic complex carved into the rock of Mount Gareja,
and Vardzia, a spectacular underground city that once housed 2,000 monks.
5. Supra: A traditional Georgian feast
If there is something that makes me love or not loves a country, it is of course the price of the
beer. If it's cheap, I stay. If it's cheap and good I will probably settle there...hehe. In a normal
trendy downtown bar you will get a pint for just two dollars and you'll love it. Georgian beer is
as pure as it can be and it is really delicious. Just imagine you can get drunk for just 10 dollars.
"Gaumajos" - that's how you say cheers in Georgia!
One of the best ways to get to know the country is through its food.
In fact, if you haven’t tried a Georgian “supra,” or feast, you haven’t experienced Georgia.
The cuisine in Georgia is very unique, with both European and Middle Eastern influences. The
local cheese bread is called “khachapuri,” the most famous being the Adjaran variety.
It’s a baked bread boat filled with gooey, melted, tangy “sulguni” cheese, a whole egg yolk and
some slivers of butter. Yes, it’s heart stopping, but so delicious. “Khinkhali” dumplings come
with a spiced meat filling that releases its juices when cooked, so you have to suck out the
stock before eating. It's usually filled with spiced meat such as pork, beef or sometimes lamb.
This mouth watering dish is really something you can't get around here. Now the interesting
part, with your first bite you also have to suck the juice out of it, in order to prevent the
dumpling from bursting. Then there are delectable walnut dressing salads, bean stews cooked
with fragrant cilantro and “mtsvadi,” tender marinated meat cooked on a kebab skewer.
They’re best enjoyed, of course, with some excellent Georgian wine.
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6. Remote mountain villages
The remote regions of Khevsureti and Tusheti in the Caucasus Mountains are home to
spectacular medieval villages with small communities that still retain their ancient pagan
traditions.
The roads going up here are an adrenaline rush in themselves. The ruined fortress of Mutso and
the settlement of Shatili in Khevsureti look like something described by J.R.R. Tolkien. Set
dramatically against the mountains, they’re so close to Chechnya you can see the border guards
walking up and down the ridge.
Tusheti is a cluster of communities, kind of like a Georgian Shangri La, full of old towers,
churches, villages and spectacular mountain scenery with wild flowers and trees with leaves
that almost look golden. Tusheti has numerous hiking trails and the locals are known for their
generous mountain hospitality.
7. Europe’s most surreal museum
To learn about the life of Old Joe, visit Stalin’s hometown, Gori, and the bizarre Joseph Stalin
Museum.
You might know Stalin as a dictator responsible for millions of deaths, but in this hometown
attraction there is a sense of pride about the “local boy made good.”
There aren’t any references to his purges beyond a small backroom that doesn’t feature on the
tour, but there are pictures aplenty of Stalin, including one of the leaders voting for him.
There are also various statues, his death mask, carpets and frescoes featuring the dear leader’s
face, his personal green railway carriage and — the star attraction — his one-bedroom
childhood home preserved in perfect condition. The museum has been criticized for being a
“falsification of history” and an example of “Soviet propaganda.” There were plans to
transform the museum into a museum of Russian aggression, but so far this is limited to a little
room hidden beside the entrance.
The museum is worth visiting as it captures the essence of Stalin, including his own selfglorification and propaganda, even if that was not its intended purpose.
8. Beautiful and ancient churches
Georgia adopted Christianity back in 324 AD and the country is full of spectacular churches
and cathedrals in incredible locations. Whether it’s the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of
Mtskheta’s Svetitskhoveli Cathedral or Kutaisi’s Bagrati Cathedral or the dramatic hill top
position of the church in Kazbegi, Georgia’s churches never fail to paint a pretty picture.
Kazbegi is also home to one of the world’s most spectacular marathon routes.
You can cheer on runners in this year’s Kazbegi Trail Marathon on September 5, 2015.
9. The people and Georgian hospitality
Some Georgians might appear a serious bunch at first, but most of them are kind and
welcoming.
For Georgians, a guest is a sacred thing and they will often go out of their way to help you.
Their generosity and hospitality will often take the form of lots of food and even more drink.
As they say in Georgia, “Gaumarjos!” (Cheers!).
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Conclusion and recommendations Tourism is crucial for many countries due to
increased opportunities for employment and large monetary gains for local businesses.
Different countries have various strategies and approaches toward tourism development, some
approaches are propelled by poverty alleviation but at the same time lack of the strategic
tourism plan and wrong approaches toward tourism development that can cause problems and
have negative impacts on local environment. It is crucial to bear in mind that tourism
development cannot be only alternative way for the development of rural and mountain regions
and tourism cannot be seen from only positive side. It will be more rational to make long-term
plans for tourism development, to bear in mind dark side of the tourism and manage the ways
to avoid it. First of all, long-term strategic tourism development plans at national, as well as at
the regional level should be developed and adopted with close consultation of all interested
stakeholder groups. It is important that high participation of local companies and communities
are ensured in the development of regional tourism plans. Secondly, before starting promotion
of any type of tourism in the mountainous or rural regions, the research should be undertaken
regarding the tourism potential and local people’s expectations. Thirdly, to avoid negative
impacts on the environment and local communities, Environmental Impact Assessment must be
mandatory for the large-scale tourism development projects. Finally, when long-term strategic
tourism plans are developed, it is important that they are respected and followed by the
governmental agencies in the first place.
At last we want to say, Georgia is one of the most unique tourist countries in the world. We
aim to help visitors discover its diversity and richness, leaving them with a lasting desire to
return.
Developing Georgia’s brand and positioning its tourism industry on the international market;
increasing Georgia’s competitiveness with similar tourist markets; market share growth;
infrastructure development; improvement of the service sphere; education quality
enhancement; attracting investors; and promoting the local private sector through effective
partnership and cooperative development.
References
Giorgi Rajebashvili. 2012. Tourism development in Georgia
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
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Our special thanks to GNTA for their support in conducting this research;
A special thanks to Dr. N. Chakvetadze for her help to present the region's tourism potential
assessment in Georgia;
A special thanks to Dr. Gr. Asatiani for his active participation in different events of ICCT.
We are very grateful to all relevant Resource Centers and their employees, whose materials
were used in the present work.
To prepare this Monograph we used the Sources of GNTA, Ministry of Internal Affairs and
Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development, National Wine Agency and express our
gratitude to all staff of these Organizations.
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The research had been conducted in the frames of the project “Tourism Paths of the Black
Sea Region” implemented by ICCT in BSB-TOUR, Reference number: 2.1.2.75810.354
Project has been financed from the European Union through the Joint Operational Programme
“Black Sea Basin 2007-2013”
Welcome to Georgia!
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